


Dusk Till Dawn [Sequel to A Year Without You]

by Jetaimeleplus



Category: One Direction (Band), Zayn Malik (Musician)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Mental Institutions, Schizophrenia, larry stylinson - Freeform, paranoid schizophrenia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2018-01-31
Packaged: 2019-02-12 05:31:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 45,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12952353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jetaimeleplus/pseuds/Jetaimeleplus
Summary: It's been five years since the year of hell, as Zayn would call it. Five years since Zayn and Liam were forced to live a year without each other, five years since Zayn was diagnosed with Paranoid Schizophrenia and five years of Liam trying to recover from the mental and emotional abuse of being held hostage for ten months.You'd believe that after five years they'd be able to live a normal life, with Zayn receiving treatment and Liam having weekly sessions with a therapist, that they would be able to be happy and worry free as they wish they could be.Sadly, what they went through wasn't something someone can get over as quickly as one getting over the fact that they didn't get the last slice of pizza or that they no longer have ice cream in the freezer. No, things were much harder for them both than they expected it to be, but together they'll get through it.Except, neither one will admit to their significant other that they aren't okay. They keep it a secret from each other, and that isn't helping.





	1. Chapter 1

As much as Zayn loved autumn and watching as the leaves turn different colors and fall to the ground, this time of the year brought back the horrible memories of when Liam went missing. He watched as the light breeze blew leaves away, the steam coming from his cup of tea steaming up the window, and Liam's soft snoring in the background was what he was used to these mornings. 

It was around seven in the morning, Zayn had been the kind of person to sleep through the morning and wake up around one or two in the afternoon, but that changed. He finds himself awake by six and not being able to fall back asleep until later that night.

"Zayn? Why are you up so early?" Zayn turned around to see Liam sitting up on the bed rubbing his eyes, he smiled a bit before making his way over to the bed and kissing his husband on the cheek.

"Every morning you ask me the same question, and every morning I answer the same thing." 

"I know, I just thought you were going to say that you had gotten up to make me breakfast or something" Liam chuckled as he watched Zayn laugh and sit on the bed in front of him.

"Nice try"

"How are you feeling?" Liam asked as he bit his bottom lip nervously, Zayn shrugging his shoulders as he took a sip of his tea. "I love you", he said when Zayn didn't really reply.

"And I love you" Zayn looked over at him before he got up again, handing his cup to Liam and making his way to the bathroom to shower.

Liam stayed in bed as he heard the water running, and the very soft hums coming from Zayn, Liam knew better than to ask Zayn how he was feeling or how he was doing because he knew he wasn't comfortable sharing that with anyone, he had become so closed off to people not wanting to let them know how he was doing, what his doctors had told him, how his treatment is going, if it's working or not. He simply didn't like talking about his illness, he felt as though people would treat him differently if he was open about it. He kept everyone out of the loop, including Liam.

Except, Liam couldn't really be mad at Zayn for it, since he himself kept from everyone how he was doing and feeling as well. No matter who asked, Liam would always avoid answering and change the subject, well, he would do that to everyone other than his doctors, they needed to know. 

He just felt incredibly embarrassed about it, a 24 year old man not being able to recover from being held hostage, it seemed pathetic to him, honestly. He had been one of the strongest and toughest guys in high school and now he seemed like he was the most fragile and weak of all their friends. He wish he could change that but really, how can you go on after living such a thing?

"Liam? Are you listening to me?"

"I'm sorry, what?" Liam looked over at Zayn who was by the bathroom door, looking at him worried.

"I said that I'm going to be at Eleanor's today, did you want to come with?"

Liam hesitated for a bit, he wanted to say yes but he felt as though Zayn would judge him if he did, so instead he shook his head no. 

"No, I'll stay here, read a book or clean around the house, don't really feel like going out today, if that's okay with you?"

"Yeah, of course." Zayn smiled at him before walking towards their closet as Liam stood up and made his way to the bathroom.

Zayn was kind of glad Liam had decided to stay home because its been awhile since Liam has seen him dance and Zayn doesn't think he's ready for Liam to watch him make a fool out of himself just yet. 

An hour later, both Liam and Zayn had showered, gotten dressed and had finished eaten breakfast by the time Zayn said he had to get going.

"I'll call you later, okay? But do call me if you need anything" Zayn said, before pecking Liam's lips. Liam smiled and nodded before giving Zayn a hug, which he gladly returned.

Zayn was making his way out the door when Liam called out for him.

"Where are the fall decorations? I kind of want to clean up and decorate the house, since it's fall and all" 

"They're in the basement, need help bringing them up?"

Liam froze for a few seconds before shaking his head, "No, I've got it, have a nice day"

"You too, I love you" Zayn said as he made his way out and closed the door behind him.

"And I love you" Liam whispered as he slowly made his way towards the basement door. 

He stood in front of the door for what seemed like hours but in reality had only been a few minutes. He reached towards the door knob but the second his hand made contact with it, he started crying, pulled away and quickly made his way to his and Zayn's room.

Zayn didn't know but Liam was afraid to go down to their basement, or anyone's basement, it brought back the memories of when he spent chained to a wall down in the basement of people he did not know. So instead of doing what he had told Zayn he would, he laid in bed all day waiting for Zayn to come home. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A squeal was long over due, huh?
> 
> Yes, the story is named after Zayn's song but it's mostly because the song says "you'll never be alone, I'll be with you from dusk till dawn", which to me fits perfectly for this since Liam and Zayn will always be there for each other no matter what they've gone through or are going through because that's the way they are. And because I love them so much and it would be rude of me to separate them once again like I did in the first story, that would be cruel.
> 
> If you have any ideas on how this sequel should go, what should happen, who should come out in it, or just what you believe might happen, because I've got it planned a bit so far but am open to suggestions as well, please let me know!
> 
> This has been on Wattpad for a few weeks now, and decided it was time to add it onto here as well.
> 
> Love you guys, and thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

Zayn always parked in the same spot when he went to Eleanor's studio, always right next to Eleanor's car far from the entrance. As he made his way towards the studio, he saw Harry and Louis approaching as well from the other side of the parking lot.

"Hey Zayn!" Harry said as Zayn opened the door for them, Louis smiling at him as they walked in.

"Hey" He replied softly following them inside.

"Well, look who finally decided to show up!" Eleanor said from behind the front desk, smiling at the three.

"I've been busy" Zayn said rolling his eyes making his way behind the desk.

"Oh yeah? Busy doing what exactly? Because you keep saying you're gonna come but you just never show up."

Zayn sighed and sat down on the chair and looked up at her. The truth was that Zayn always told Liam he was going to Eleanor's but he never actually went to the studio, or to be with Eleanor for that matter.

Eleanor was nice enough to keep up with his lies, vouching for him whenever someone like Liam or his parents asked about him, and how she thought he was doing. She'd always lie and say she thought she was doing okay. She truly felt bad about lying but Zayn was her best friend and she would basically help him out in anything because she knew he'd do the same for her.

"So you haven't been coming here or?" Louis asked as he looked over at Zayn in confusion.

"No he has, he just promised to be here early today but you know Zayn, he's never early to anything" Eleanor replied giving Zayn a gentle squeeze on the shoulder.

Louis seemed to have bought it since he only nodded and didn't ask further questions. Zayn sighed in relief before standing up once again, and following Eleanor, Harry and Louis to one of the five studios the building had.

"Okay so, this is spacious enough, don't you think?" She looked over at Louis and Harry, Louis shrugging his shoulders and Harry looking around inspecting the room.

"Yeah, I guess we can work with this." Harry replied after a few seconds, turning over to look at Zayn. "You don't have to do this if you don't feel comfortable you know that, right?"

Zayn had promised Harry and Louis to choreograph their surprise dance for their wedding, but that had been three months ago when Zayn was feeling great and believed he could help them out. Except, now he didn't feel so great, but he also didn't want to go back on his promise to his best friends.

"No it's okay, I can do it" He nodded, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Liar." Harry made his way towards him wrapping his arms around Zayn, hugging him tightly. "Zayn, I honestly understand if you can't. Eleanor can help"

Eleanor nodded, Zayn sighing and hugging Harry back. "Fine. But if you need me please let me know"

"We will" Eleanor replied as the two pulled away. "Harry, go and pick the song you guys want to dance to while I show Zayn what he can help me with in the front desk" Eleanor grabbed Zayn's hand and they walked out of the studio, making their way towards the lobby.

"So what did you find out?" Eleanor asked once they were far enough for Harry and Louis not to hear them. Zayn sat down behind the desk and Eleanor stayed on the other side, leaning against the counter.

"I was finally able to get a hold of someone who could give me the information I was looking for." Zayn started, Eleanor nodding for him to go on.

"Well apparently Miss Clara doesn't work there anymore so I really couldn't speak with her for information, which I knew she would have given me but I also find it very weird that she's no longer there since she saw Ruby like she was her daughter. Anyway, I was able to talk to Sarah, you remember her? The nice lady at the reception?"

Eleanor nodded so he continued, "She was very happy to hear from me, I couldn't believe she still works there, anyway, I asked about Ruby and she said all she could tell me was that Ruby was better than the last time I saw her but occasionally is seen talking to herself saying she's talking to Ethan and Liam"

"Wait, you mean the hallucinations you were having when you were there? How is that even possible?" Eleanor frowned not really understanding.

"I really don't know. I have no idea how Ruby could see what I saw, especially since Ethan doesn't exist and it wasn't like the Liam I was seeing was a ghost, since he's alive"

"Zayn, you were diagnosed with Paranoid Schizophrenia."

Zayn stood quite before answering, "Right, I forget."

"So you think she might have the same thing?"

"I honestly don't know, and I really don't remember if I ever told her about the hallucinations I was having. It's all a bit of a blur now. Which just makes everything much more confusing" He groaned before putting his forehead against the table.

"How long ago did you receive the letter?"

"From Ruby? Three weeks ago. Why?" Zayn looked up at Eleanor waiting for her to reply.

"What did the letter say exactly?"

"Basically that she missed me, and wished I could make it over to see her for her 16th birthday. Said, Liam and Ethan would greatly appreciate it as well."

"I really don't mean to be rude, Zayn, but that's way too creepy. Especially because she got your address, you don't live with your parents anymore, meaning you have a new address which is where the letter arrived. Are you really sure it's her?"

"I honestly don't know if it's her or not, but who else could it be?" Zayn said biting his lip nervously.

"Where's the letter?"  Eleanor asked, glancing over at the doorway to make sure Harry and Louis weren't around.

"At home in a shoe box, on the top shelf in the closet. I keep my comics there and Liam knows how much I take care of them that he doesn't touch the box."

"Listen, I think you need to talk to Liam about this. Because how could a 16 year old living in the states get ahold of your new address and send you a letter asking you to go visit her because two hallucinations would greatly appreciate it. Two hallucinations who by the way look like one of your friends and your husband. That's just creepy and weird, and maybe she isn't as okay as Sarah made you believe and she's only gotten crazier. Because only a crazy person would say they're talking to people who aren't even there."

Zayn stared at Eleanor until she gasped realizing what she had said.

"Zayn, I didn't mean it that way. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you're crazy or ever were, please believe me." She said quickly, Zayn shaking his head and waving her off.

"It's fine, I know you didn't mean to offend anyone. I get it. It's weird for you because you don't understand it, don't worry about it."

Eleanor sighed, feeling really shitty about what she said but knew that there was really nothing that could fix it now.

Just as Zayn was about to say something, his phone binged, meaning he had gotten a text message. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and saw he had a text message from his mother-in-law, Karen.

He frowned upon reading what it said before getting up and grabbing his bag before making his way towards the exit.

"Zayn, what's wrong?" Eleanor asked as he walked past her.

"It's Liam, Karen found him crying hysterically in our bedroom. He won't say what's wrong" He quickly replied before rushing out of the studio. He needed to get home as soon as possible, he needed to be with Liam.

He'd just have to figure out the Ruby situation some other time. Right now, Liam needed him more than anything and anyone.

 


	3. Chapter 3

It probably hadn't been long since Liam decided to go to the bedroom to cry when he felt someone put their hand on his shoulder. He quickly opened his eyes and sat up, just to see his mother looking at him worriedly.

"Liam, what's wrong?"

Liam couldn't speak or look at his mother so all he did was continue crying, harder and louder this time. Karen sat down with him and rubbed his back soothingly, but Liam kept crying. She kept asking him what was wrong or if anything had happened but Liam wouldn't say a thing.

Karen decided to text Zayn to let him know before calling Liam's therapist afterwards to let her know what was going on, and ask her why she probably thought Liam was that way.

"Hello, Dr.Villa's office, Denise speaking"

"Hello, this is Karen Payne, Liam Payne's mother. Is there any way I can talk to Dr.Villa?"

"Let me check, please hold"

Karen watched as Liam basically crumbled in front of her, he was now hugging his knees against his chest, crying hysterically, rocking slightly back and forth. Karen had never seen Liam this way, but then again, this probably may not be the first time it's happened, since no one really knows what goes on in Liam's life.

"Dr.Villa speaking."

"Hello, yes, Dr.Villa. This is Karen Payne, Liam Pa-"

"Liam Payne's mother, how can I help you?"

"Liam isn't doing so good right now, he's been crying since before I arrived at his house and won't tell me what's wrong. Which left me wondering if everything is okay with him? If you've seen him get better at all?"

"Does Liam not tell you about his sessions with me, Mrs.Payne?"

"No, is there something wrong?"

"Well, I'm not at liberty to give you information on him unless given permission to do so by him."

"But I'm his mother. I have the right to know."

"Yes, ma'am, I know you have the right to know, as his mother. Except, you're not listened as the one person information can be given to."

"Then who is?"

"Niall Horan."

Karen stared at Liam who had seemed to have calmed down a bit, but she was incredibly confused as to why Niall was the one person Liam listed to be given information if he asked for it. She could understand her not being the one listed, but why wasn't Zayn?

One would think that the person to be able to call and ask information about Liam and have it be given to them would be Zayn, he is Liam's husband afterall.

"Hello? Mrs.Payne? Are you still there?"

Before Karen could answer, Zayn rushes into the room and over to Liam side.

"Liam, babe, what's wrong?" He wrapped his arms around Liam and held him close to him, kissing the top of his head gently.

Liam quickly relaxed and his crying slowly stopped. Zayn sighed and looked over at Karen who was watching the two.

"Mrs.Payne?"

"I'm sorry. Yes, I'm still here" She said into the phone, Zayn watching her curiously.

"Can you not give the information to his husband?"

Zayn grew more curious but didn't stop comforting Liam.

"With Liam's permission, I can."

Karen put the phone on speaker, "Liam, sweetheart, do you give Dr.Villa permission to tell Zayn any information about you?"

Zayn frowned before looking down at Liam, who nodded.

"Liam, you need to speak up. The doctor can't see you."

"Yes" He said only loud enough for the doctor to hear him.

"Very well, Mr.Malik-Payne, when can you come see me in my office?"

"I can go as soon as Liam feels better." He replied still looking at Liam, who wouldn't meet Zayn's eyes, only staring at the wall.

"Alright, when you get here, just let my receptionist Denise know that you don't have an appointment but that I already know you were coming."

"Yes ma'am, thank you."

And with that, the doctor hung up. Zayn looked over at Karen who was looking at Liam.

"Why did we need Liam's permission?" Zayn asked slowly pulling away from Liam, once he believed his husband was feeling slightly better.

"Turns out the only person that can ask for information about Liam from Dr.Villa is Niall"

Zayn frowned once again and looked at Liam, who was sitting up on his now and was still avoiding to look at Zayn.

"Liam? Why is Niall the only one listed?" He asked, Liam hesitantly turning to meet his eyes.

"Because I didn't want you know how bad I'm doing. You've got your own things to worry about."

Zayn sighed and looked over at Karen, who really was much more worried for her son than when she first walked in.

"Why were you crying?"

"Let Dr.Villa tell you." And with that, Liam laid down and turned away from both his mother and Zayn. Soon enough they heard his soft and even breathing meaning he had fallen asleep.

Both Karen and Zayn got up and made their way out of the bedroom, leaving the door ajar behind them. As they made their way downstairs, Zayn looked around noticing that none of the fall decorations Liam had said he was going to get weren't around.

"Zayn, I know you're going through some stuff as well, we can all tell. Even when you don't let anyone know, but I hope you've noticed that Liam isn't so great either. I hope that you've paid attention to him as much as you pay attention to everything else." Karen said sounding slightly upset. "Because if Liam doesn't start getting better soon, even if he's your husband, I'm going to have to bring it upon myself to take him to live with me"

With that, she walked out of the house leaving Zayn speechless.

Zayn called Eleanor and asked her if she could please come over and watch over Liam while Zayn went and talked to his therapist.   
  
20 minutes later, Zayn was on his way to Dr.Villa's office, but he truly wasn't prepared for what the doctor had to tell him.

"Listen, I've always told Liam that if he wants to tell you or his family what has been going on here, and about his progress, that he can. Why he decided to not tell you anything is something only he knows" Dr.Villa started, looking over Liam's file.

Zayn started at her waiting for her to continue and not take her time doing so.

"Liam hasn't exactly being getting better. We've tried working with moving on from the horrible experience he went though but it's much easier said than done. Did you know Liam is afraid to go down to any basement?"

Zayn frowned, shaking his head no.

"Well, he's afraid of going down to basements, he's afraid of meeting new people because he never knows if they'll try to hurt him or not, he has trouble sleeping, says he usually isn't able to fall asleep until five in the morning, and most importantly he's afraid of being alone"

As Zayn listened to Dr.Villa, he couldn't help but feel like a horrible husband. How could he not notice those things about Liam?

"He's told me that you probably had it much harder than he did, and do you know what I've told him time and time again?"

"What?"

"That you didn't have at as bad as he did. Yes, I'm aware you were sent to a mental institution, but you were also released what, three months later? So really, you had it easy. Liam had to spend 10 months in a basement chained to a wall being mistreated and basically starved not knowing if he was going to live to see another day. You going "crazy" over not seeing your boyfriend is honestly very childish."  Dr.Villa said, making air quotes when she said crazy.

Zayn couldn't believe what he was hearing, for the doctor to tell him he had been childish and what happened to him couldn't possibly be as bad as what Liam went through was unprofessional. He was aware they both went through completely different things but the damage they both received was probably just as bad for either of them.

"Liam doesn't talk about you much, but from what he's told me, it's more than enough to realize you're selfish and don't really care about what happens to Liam, only worrying about yourself. My advice for you, if you want to help Liam get better, stay away from him. You're one of the biggest reasons Liam has only gotten worse."

Zayn was hurt, pissed and overall confused, he hadn't realized he had been crying until Dr.Villa slid him a box of tissues.

"Now if you excuse me, I've got patients to see." She said standing up and walking towards the door, she held it open for Zayn, who hesistated but stood up and made his way out of the office.

He walked out of the building, pulling out his phone and calling Karen.

"Zayn?"

"Take Liam to live with you. It's the best thing for him."

 


	4. Chapter 4

Liam was honestly very confused as to why Zayn wanted him to go live with his mother, and why he wasn't allowed to have a say in it.

Currently, he was helping his mother and father, carry boxes with his belongings down to their car. He wasn't going to take absolutely everything he owned from the house, just things his mother thought he needed.

Zayn wasn't there, he had texted Liam saying he was sorry and it was for the best. Liam didn't understand what Zayn was talking about until his mother and father arrived and told him he was going to live with them for awhile.

To be honest, Liam didn't wanna go, he wanted to stay where he belonged, with his husband in their house. Except, no one seemed to care what he wanted and was treated like a child at the age of 24.

"I believe that's everything." His father said as he finished loading the boxes into the car. Liam stood by him, looking over at his house, his and Zayn's home.

"You know this is for the best." His father added.

Liam turned to look at him, upset, "And who the hell said that leaving my home and my husband was the best thing for me? Who in their right mind thinks they know what's best for me better than I do?"

"Your therapist" His mom answered as she approached them both.

"To hell with her, she's the one who hasn't helped me much, why aren't we blaming her instead of Zayn?" Liam crossed his arms over his chest, his parents sighing but not answering.

"Go lock up, and make sure to leave your keep under the mat. You won't be needing it for awhile." His mother said before getting into the car with his father.

Liam huffed but did so anyway, he could honestly just run inside, lock himself up and refuse to open until everyone agreed he could stay there. But honestly, what was the point? Everyone had already made a decision for him, all thanks to that good for nothing therapist.

Once Liam was in the car and his father was driving off from their home, Zayn's car drove past them. Liam quickly turned around to look at him, noticing that Zayn was upset, he looked heartbroken. Yet, Zayn hadn't been able to look at him for more than a few seconds.

Liam felt like crying because who does this to someone? Not care about what they want and make them basically suffer.

"You know, this feels a lot like when I was kidnapped and being held against my will."

"Liam.."

"It's true and you know it. Both of you. I clearly don't want to leave my home and my husband but here you are, taking me away from that, against my will."

"We are only doing it because we care. And besides, Zayn was the one to call me and tell me to take you away."

Liam stared at the back of his mother's head, the he did not know. He thought his parents had convinced Zayn to allow them to take him away, but never did he imagine that Zayn had been the one to make that decision for him.

Liam didn't say anything for the rest of the ride to his parents. He cried silently, but his mother caught him. She truly felt bad, doing that to Liam, but when a professional tells you that what's making your son's mental health worse is his husband, you'll do anything to keep him away.

"We're home." His father said as he parked in the driveway.

"You're home. This isn't my home." Liam whispered, looking out the window.

"This is your home, Liam. It always has been and always will be."

"Bullshit."

"Liam James Payne, you know better than to speak like that to your mother." His father said quickly turning around to frown at Liam.

"You two do realize I'm 24 years old, I'm married, own a home with the love of my life, and am old enough to speak however the fuck I want to whoever the fuck I want?" Liam turned to glare at his father who simply shook his head.

"You're acting pretty childish for a 24 year old. Take your things inside. we're not helping you." His father got out of the car and made his way to the front door. "Karen, leave him be. If he can talk to use that way than he's more than capable of carrying his own stuff inside, since he's 24 and all."

Liam's mother sighed and went inside along with his father. Liam felt bad about how he has spoken to them but wasn't going to show it. All he wanted was to go home and be with Zayn.

He pulled out his phone from his pocket, glancing over at the front door to make sure his parents weren't coming back or watching him before he dialed Zayn's number.

He answered after the first ring.

"Zayn! Please you have to pick me up, I want to go home. I don't want to be here, please" Liam cried out.

"Liam."

"Eleanor? What are you doing with Zayn's phone?"

"I grabbed it when it started to ring."

"Where's Zayn?"

"Next to me."

"Let me talk to him."

"Can't do that."

Liam frowned, "Why not?"

"You're not allowed to speak to Zayn until your health has gotten better. And since you obviously don't know and still have your phone, your parents will be taking away your phone so you can't talk or text Zayn."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Liam stepped out of the car and started pacing back and forth. "You guys can do this to me!"

"Liam, it's for your ow-"

"Yeah, yeah, it's for my own fucking good. Why dont you all just mind your own fucking business and let Zayn and I live our lives the way we fucking want to. No one asked any of you to make decisions in lives that around yours! So I suggest you go back to your stupid dance studio that no one even goes to and try to figure out how to save it before it's taken away instead of meddling into the lives of other people! " Liam had enough, he probably had no right to yell at Eleanor the way he had but he's frustrated and upset.

Eleanor didn't reply, and he was immediately regretting saying what he did.

"Eleanor, I didn't me-"

"Liam, please don't call me again. We need to both try to get through this and the quicker we both get better the quicker we get to be together."

"Zayn.. Where's Eleanor?"

"Living room, she gave me the phone after what you said and walked away." Liam could hear how heartbroken and upset Zayn was, which only broke his own heart. And knowing he hurt Eleanor wasn't helping either.

"Tell her I'm sorry.."

"I will. Now please hang up, and give your parents your phone. I love you."

"And I love you."

With that, Zayn hung up, leaving Liam crying and going inside to do as told. He handed his parents his phone and walked away to his old room, which had been untouched since he moved out.

He laid on the bed, staring out the window, wishing he was looking at Zayn drink his cup of tea while watching the leaves fall from the trees and not looking out at the dark grey sky that only made his mood worse.


	5. Chapter 5

"Are you stupid?? What screw are you missing in the head for you to think that was the best thing for him?" Harry ranted as he walked back and forth.

Zayn looked at him from his place in the couch along with Louis and Eleanor.

"You seriously must be out of your mind to think that being away from Liam is actually going to help him get better. What on earth possessed you to say, 'Hey you know what, I'm gonna send my husband away for awhile maybe that will help him get better because obviously that's the best option' like he hadn't been taken away and held against his will already!? Hell let's just do it all over again five years later, because it won't be so bad this time since he's with his family! Ha! That's perfect, send someone who's still recovering from being held hostage to be held hostage by his family! Genius!"

"Are you done?" Zayn said looking at Harry who stopped pacing to look back at Zayn.

"You, Zayn Malik-Payne, are a fucking idiot. Okay, now I'm done." He said sitting down on the other couch crossing his arms over his chest.

Zayn sighed and looked over at Louis, who shook his head. "Don't look at me, he's got a mind of his own and I can't control what he says or does."

"Ha! Take notes, Zayn."

"Harry, shut up, before I send someone to hold you against your will." Eleanor said from her spot on the couch looking incredibly annoyed.

"It wasn't my idea, I told you what the therapist said and-"

"Who gives a fuck what that so called therapist says, don't you think it's her fault he hasn't gotten better?" Harry interrupted, Zayn looking at him worried.

"Who even suggested that therapist in the first place?" Louis asked turning to look at Zayn.

"Uh, I don't really remember, I wasn't fully aware of what was going on back then either." Zayn said shrugging his shoulders.

"Okay, well why don't we have someone else evaluate him before you decide to make his life a living hell?"

Zayn thought for a few seconds what Harry had said before nodding in agreement, "Alright, since you're so passionate about hating me and my choices at the moment, why don't you look for someone to evaluate him?"

"I will. And I will show you thats he's okay and it's just that dumb therapist opinion that's making it worse."

Zayn rolled his eyes before turning to look at Louis, "Are you positive you want to marry that goof? There's still time to back out."

"Don't you think I've tried?" He chuckled as Harry gasped acting hurt.

"Too late now, the invitations have been sent and the venue doesn't give out refunds, and it was very expensive."

"Expensive? How expensive are we talking about Harry? You said it was no more than 2,000?"

"Well, it was 2,000, plus like 10,000 more" He said quickly so Louis wouldn't understand him.

Louis stared at him, "I'm going to pretend you said it was only 2,000 and nothing more."

Harry only smiled, Zayn looked at them both before standing up and going upstairs to the bedroom without a word, leaving his three best friend a bit confused.

"Zayn?" Eleanor slowly walked into the room, seeing Zayn standing by the window with it slightly open. "What are you doing?"

Zayn simply turned around holding his hand up to show Eleanor the cigarette in his hand.

"Zayn, you know you're not allowed to smoke" She said sternly as she walked over to him.

"And who's going to stop me? Gonna call my mother and let her know I'm misbehaving?"

"That's funny, but no, I'm not going to because I'm not you and you're not Liam. So there's no reason for me to call your parents to take care of something I'm completely capable of doing on my own."

Zayn rolled his eyes and looked out the window instead of replying to her.

"You've got two options. Throw it out yourself, or keep on smoking and make your health worse to the point you may never see Liam again since you won't be any help to him whatsoever."

Zayn didn't say a word and simply put out the cigarette in the ash tray he had next to him.

"Now, since you refuse to help your husband out, why don't you try helping yourself out then?"

"What do you mean?"

"Go back to the states. Go back to that mental institution you were in and-"

Zayn quickly turned to glare at her but Eleanor held out her hand to let her continue.

"And figure out how that Ruby girl found your address. Because you're clearly not thinking about anything other than that, if not you wouldn't have sent Liam away, don't you think?"

"How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Know me so well, and know what I'm thinking"

"I like to think that I was your conscious in another life time."

"You're honestly weirder than Harry sometimes"

"We're neighbors, the day I don't seem him or hang out with him is the day Louis has finally seen the light and realized no one deserves to be tortured this much by his giraffe of a boyfriend"

Zayn chuckled a bit before thinking about whether or not he should do what Eleanor said.

"Fine, I'll go. But no one can know, do you understand?"

"My lips are sealed." Eleanor said making the gesture as she was zipping her lips shut.

"Zayn! We have visitors!"

Both Eleanor and Zayn frowned before making their way downstairs, only to be met with Niall and Chris.

"Woah, what are you two doing here!" Zayn smiled as he hugged them both.

"Heard Liam and you weren't doing so great and decided it was time to come and see ya" Niall said patting Zayn's back. "Plus, Harry asked that we make sure the diamond and whatever centerpieces made it here on time and intact? Can you believe he actually got them custom made in Ireland?"

"You did what?!" Louis screeched from the kitchen, followed by a "I can explain" from Harry.

Niall cringed before Chris hit him in the shoulder, "He told us Louis didn't know, you idiot"

"I forgot!"

Chris shaked his head before looking at Zayn, "How have you been?"

"Okay I guess, gonna do some traveling to keep my mind off things"

"Traveling? Where to?"

"The states. Going back to see Ruby"

"You mean the creepy stalker girl from the mental institution you were in?"

Eleanor gave Niall a look before he realized what he said before apologizing.

"I told you not to say anything"

"I forgot, I'm sorry!"

"Who else knows Eleanor?" Zayn asked turning to look at her.

"Well, there's you, Niall, Chris, Harry, Louis and myself. Basically everyone here, except Liam."

Zayn sighed and rubbed his temples before walking away. "One of these days, I'm getting rid of all of you"

"When are you gonna go?" Chris asked as he follows Zayn and sat down on the opposite end of the couch, followed by Niall and Eleanor who sat down on the other one. Harry and Louis walking into the living room seconds later to sit on the floor.

"This week maybe, I want to get it done as soon as possible you know?"

Chris nodded, "What if I come with you?"

"Why would you want to come with me?"

"Kinda wanna know what this girl is up to and aside from everyone in this room, I'm the only one who isn't busy for the next six to seven months."

"If you're up for it, then sure why not." Zayn shrugged before continuing, "But Liam cannot know about this, understand?" He said mostly directing it at Eleanor.

"Okay okay, geez, you let one thing slip once and you're suddenly the group snitch"

"What about that one time you told us all Harry had ripped his jeans back in high school?" Niall asked

"Or the time you said Liam was too chicken to ask Zayn out so you literally had to write down what he had to say?" Louis chimed in

"Or what about when you told us that-"

"Okay! I get it! Shut up already!" She said interrupting Harry, making everyone laugh to which she just groaned at.

"See, this is why you must keep your mouth shut, Eleanor" Zayn said smiling at her.

"I will, geez."

Zayn wasn't sure if going to see Ruby was the best thing at the moment, but it would truly keep him occupied while Harry found someone to re-evaluate Liam and made sure that he was truly doing okay and that Dr.Villa lied about Zayn being the reason Liam wasn't getting better. So, until then, Zayn was going to head out to the states with Chris to try to figured out what Ruby wants

 


	6. Chapter 6

"I'm starting to think that Zayn doesn't care for him as much as he used to" Liam frowned as he overheard his family talking in the dining room. He stayed in the hallway so he could hear what else they would say.

"You can't say that when the poor guy has also been through so much, they both have. How do you expect him to put aside his own health to help Liam recover in the fullest" He heard his sister, Ruth tell his mother.

"You don't honestly believe that do you?" His mother replied.

"Mom, you can't honestly be serious. Zayn has Paranoid Schizophrenia, you can't go around saying that Zayn's health isn't important. Besides, what's your deal with Zayn? Do you forget that you and our family weren't the only ones suffering while Liam was missing? He felt the heartbreak too, and also, you used to love Zayn so much and would go to him for comfort. What changed?"

"Everything changed, your brother changed, Zayn changed, this family changed, nothing stayed the same. Did they honestly believe that going back to normal as if nothing even happened was going to be the best thing? Hell they got married as soon as Liam graduated."

"They've been married for four and a half years, mom! Stop trying to make decisions in their relationship, you might be Liam's mother but you stopped having the right to decide for him the second him and Zayn said 'I do' in front of their friends and family."

Karen stared at her daughter who got up from her seat, "Now I suggest you let Liam make decisions for himself, if he wants to go with Zayn and be with him, then hell he can do so. You'll always be his mom, but stop treating him like a kid. I'm sure the only reason Zayn told you to take Liam was because you basically threatened him before leaving, and yes he told me because you and dad seem to be the only ones that don't like Zayn apparently. Your daughters love him and have been in touch with him so much, he texts us everyday giving us an update on Liam. Bet he doesn't do that with you, wanna know why? Because he can tell you don't like him."

Karen stayed quiet and looked away from Ruth and looked at her hands on the table instead.

"Your son is in love with him, mom. I think it's time you do some growing up. I'm sorry for saying all of this and for hurting you if I did, but someone had to say it. Isn't that right, Liam?"

Liam's eyes went wide and he slowly peeked into the dining room, his parents and Ruth looking at him. He slowly entered the dining room avoiding his mother's glance. He sighed and sat down where Ruth had previously been sitting.

"I need to confess something." He sighed, finally meeting his parent's eyes. Ruth gently rubbing his shoulders, he took a deep breath before speaking.

"I actually haven't been going to see my therapist. I haven't been going for the past two years. I pay her to say that I am going and to not tell anyone about it. I don't know why she said what she did, it's not true. Zayn helps me more than anyone and he's the one that has always been there for me. I might not tell him everything or how I'm truly feeling but I don't need to because he takes care of me no matter what."

"Liam"

He shook his head at his mother before continuing, "The one hour I'm meant to be at the therapist, I walk to the nearest park and just sit there thinking and wishing that I could change everything that happened to us all. I write in a journal and keep it hidden, even from Zayn. The only one who knows I don't go with her is Niall, which is why he was listed as the one person to obtain information. He's the one that goes once a month to give Dr.Villa the payment to not say anything."

"Liam, how could you do that? Knowing well that you need to be going to therapy to get better and recover" His mother said, looking at her son disappointed.

"I'm sorry"

After a few minutes of silence, his mother spoke up, "I may not have the right to make decisions over your life anymore, but I'm going to one last time."

"What do you mean?" Liam asked, his voice soft.

"We're sending you to Traverse City, Michigan. To the hospital Zayn was at while you were missing. It helped him, I'm sure it will help you as well"

"Mom-" Ruth started, but their mother shook her head.

"He's going and that's final"

Liam could only stare at his mother, speechless. He couldn't believe they were genuinely sending him overseas to a mental institution. He looked up at his sister, who only smiled at him sadly.

A few miles away, Zayn and Chris were getting ready to head to the airport. Zayn felt bad that he wouldn't be able to say goodbye to Liam but the less Liam knew the better. He would go and come as fast as possible, he just needed answers.

"Are you sure you want to go?" Harry asked as Zayn finished packing his suitcase, he turned to look at Harry in the doorway.

"I'm positive. Sitting here doing nothing is going to do absolutely nothing to help Liam, but if I can go and figure out how Ruby got our address, maybe I can find out if whoever gave it to her is a danger to Liam and I. Don't you think?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. You packed your medication right?"

Zayn nodded and grabbed his suitcase, making his way towards the door, to go downstairs, where Chris was waiting for him. Harry followed behind, since he was the one to drive them to the airport.

Zayn locked the door behind them before getting into Harry's car.

"Zayn, I'll let you know how Liam is doing, okay?" Harry said as he drove down the road. Zayn smiled at him, nodding once before looking out the window. Chris and Harry exchanged a glance before glancing over at Zayn.

"I'm fine, stop acting like I'm going to go crazy any minute." Zayn said, not turning to look at either of them.

40 minutes later, they were boarding their plane, Zayn by the window and Chris in the middle seat.

"This seems too familiar, sitting in the window seat of a plane on my way to Michigan to go to a mental institution that I didn't like that much."

Chris looked at him before taking Zayn's hand in his, squeezing it gently.

"This time you don't have to go through it alone. You've got me, alright?"

Zayn smiled softly at him and mouthed a thank you.

Everyone he grew up with were his best friends, but ever since meeting Chris back in high school, they've had a special bond that he didn't have with any of his other best friends. It was probably because Chris knew how it felt to lose someone you love,. He had lost his parents, and two years after they graduated high school, Chris was engaged to a girl he met in Ireland one time he went to visit Niall.

Sadly, she passed away in her sleep a month before their wedding. It was said she died of natural causes, meaning there was really nothing they could have done to prevent it, because she was generally healthy overall, it was just a very unexpected death. He hasn't been with anyone since, and he's been very strong about it. Sure it still hurts that she's gone but he tells everyone she't at peace and he knows she would want him to move on and be strong enough for himself. Of course, Zayn got Liam back, but for a really long time he felt as though Liam had died and he didn't get the chance to say goodbye or tell him how much he loved him, just how Chris really didn't get the chance to do.

He didn't imagine that, that night would be his last with her and didn't think a simply goodnight wouldn't be enough. Diane, was her name.

The plane took off, and shortly after, Zayn fell asleep. When he would wake up they would either be more than half way there or hopefully about to land. He wasn't sure if he was ready but it was now or never, and honestly he didn't want to lose Liam to someone he didn't know, that knew a lot about them, as it seemed.

 


	7. Chapter 7

"Zayn, wake up." He slowly opened his eyes and turned to look at Chris. "We're landing in a few minutes."

Zayn nodded and sat up to fasten his seatbelt, which had already been fastened. He turned to look at Chris, who simply chuckled and looked back at the magazine he had been reading.

"Don't we have to take another flight?" Zayn asked as he looked out the window.

"Yeah, but we don't have to get off, the plane will just stop to let people down and let a few people on, them were off again."

"Then why the hell did you wake me up?" Zayn groaned before sitting back.

"Because I warned you to be aware that we were landing and not freak out and scream if you were asleep when it did."

Zayn looked at him for a few seconds before nodding, "Good point."

It didn't take long, they had landed, waiting for people to get off and then for others to get on. After around 30 minutes later they were off again.

"How long will this flight be?"

"Like three hours."

"I'm going back to sleep then" Zayn said as he pull down his beanie until it was covering his eyes. Chris rolled his eyes, smiling softly.

"Alright, I'll wake you up then."

With that, Zayn fell asleep once again. The three hours honestly seemed like five minutes because before he knew it, Chris was waking him up telling him they had arrived.

Zayn yawned before undoing his seatbelt and waiting along with Chris for people to get off the plane so they wouldn't have to rush to take their things. Once they were off they made their way to baggage claim, Zayn turning on his phone and seeing a text message from Ruth. As he was about to open up the text messsage his phone turned off.

He groaned, Chris turning to look at him, "Only you would forget to charge your phone before leaving. Did you really expect it to stay at 45% the entire 18 hour flight?"

"Actually I did." Zayn said chuckling softly before they both retrieved their bags.

"No offense, I know the first thing we said we were going to do once we arrived was go straight to the hospital, but I'm incredibly tired. Do you think we could go tomorrow?" Chris asked as they made their way to the exit.

"Yeah, I'm sleepy. So let's go to the hotel instead."

"You're sleepy? Really?" Chris asked, as he looked at Zayn surprised.

"I'm guessing Eleanor has told you I don't sleep much"

"You know that she can't keep her mouth shut for anything." Chris laughed, making Zayn shake his head, chuckling softly.

"To answer your question, yes I'm sleepy. I didn't take my medication back home and I haven't taken it at all during the flight. I regained my sleep, I guess?"

"Zayn, you know better than to not take your medication." Chris said sternly and they waited for their uber to arrived, which Chris had to request.

"I promise that I'll take it later or tomorrow in the morning, I just really want to be able to sleep. I feel like with the small amount of sleep I've been getting, sleeping for so long is the best thing ever right now."

"Fine, but I swear to god Zayn Malik that if you don't take it I will shove it down your throat myself"

"Malik-Payne" Zayn grinned at him.

Chris couldn't help but smile at that. "Sorry, Zayn Malik-Payne"

"Better" Zayn said as their uber arrived and they hopped on along with their bags.

They made their way to the hotel, and surprise surprise, Zayn had fallen asleep the minute they drove away from the airport.

30 minutes later, they were on the elevator on their way to their hotel room. Zayn still looked very sleepy, which really, how on earth could he be so sleepy if he slept most of the flight and the 25 minute ride to the hotel.

Chris worried that him not taking his medication would affect him somehow, aside from him sleeping so much.

The second they entered the hotel room, Zayn dropped his bags on the floor and made his way to one of the two beds in the room. He laid down face down and a minute later he was snoring softly, surprising Chris.

Chris pulled out his phone from his pocket, dialing Eleanor's number.

She answered three rings later, "Christopher there better be a very good reason for you to be calling me right now."

"Oh shit, I forgot about the time difference, I'll call you when you wake up."

"I'm awake now, so spit it out"

"Has Zayn ever not taken his medication"

To the Eleanor sat up in her bed quickly, "Did he not take it?"

"Nope, said he didn't take it the day of our flight, and didn't take it on our way here. He refused to take it until tomorrow to catch up on sleep"

"Sleep? How much has he slept?"

"Well most of the 18 hour flight, and then 25 minutes on our drive to the hotel plus the first thing he did when we entered the room was go to sleep"

"So you're telling me, he's been sleeping for practically an entire day?"

"Yes, basically." Chris looked over at Zayn before making his way out to the small balcony the hotel room had.

Eleanor sighed," Okay well make sure that the minute he wakes up, that he takes his medication. Tell him that if he doesn't you will let me know and I will go and tell Liam he fled the country with his lover"

"Eleanor, that's not funny."

"Neither is him not taking his medication. Therefore I suggest you make him take it or Liam will be told Zayn has a lover whom he's runaway with to the states to live happily ever after"

"You wouldn't. You wouldn't purposely hurt Liam like that."

Eleanor stayed silent for what seemed like forever before she replied.

"You're right but still make him take it, got it?"

"Don't worry, I'll make him take it."

"Good. Goodnight Christopher" With that she hung up. Chris decided that he should probably sleep as well, since unlike Zayn he didn't actually get much sleep.

Back home, Liam and his parents where at the airport waiting to board their plane. Liam was still not happy about it all, he had asked Ruth to send Zayn a text message letting him know about him being taken to Michigan but up until they had to leave for the airport, Zayn hadn't read the message.

"It's time to board the plane, Liam. Let's go."

Liam sighed as he got up from his seat, following his parents to the line as they waited their turn. Because Ruth wasn't able to go with them, all she was able to do was drop them off cause she had to go to work, Liam kept wondering is maybe Zayn had seen the message.

Either way, Ruth had promised to go see him after she got out of work, but how would Liam know what happened, he didn't have a phone.

Once they boarded the plane, Liam asked for the window seat because he wasn't going to be okay with being between his parents for what seemed like an entire day of traveling.

"Liam, we're only doing this because we love you and want you to get better."

"M'kay"

"Liam, look at me."

He refuses to turn and look at his mother, she stared out the window while she kept calling his name. That is until she pinched his arm hard enough to make him turn around.

"Don't do that, it hurt" He said very annoyed.

"Well you won't listen to me, that was the only way I knew you'd turn"

"Yeah by being mean to me and physically hurting me. Who wouldn't turn around?"

"Liam, will you please just behave and listen to your mother for once?" His father added in.

"You two do realized that I no longer need to listen to you? I'm a married man, who is completely capable of making his own decisions and know what's best for me, and this" He said waving his arms around and between him and his parents, "isn't it. I want to go home"

"May I remind you, your own husband made the decision to kick you out of your home. So, are you sure you're completely capable of making your own decisions?"

Liam couldn't believe his mother, he kept wondering what on earth has gotten into her and why she's been acting this way. Liam shook his head, and turn to look back out the window, refusing to talk to his parents until they arrived to where they were headed.

Karen sighed and turned to look at Geoff, who also shook his head and looked away. In their heart and mind, they were doing what was best for Liam, they truly believed it, and with Liam being so stubborn and acting so childish, they truly believed they were doing right by Liam.

The following morning, Chris had woken up early, around 8 in the morning, Zayn was still asleep. Chris decided to get up to shower and get ready then wake him up for Zayn to do the same and take his medication while he ordered them breakfast.

Chris hoped that once he was out of the shower that Zayn would be up by then, since they were meant to be at the hospital around 11.

Zayn was still asleep when Chris got out of the shower that he walked over and shook him lightly.

"Zayn, wake up before I throw water at you."

Zayn groaned but slowly got up because he knew very well that Chris would keep his word on throwing water at him. He rubbed his eyes and when he opened them, Chris was holding out a glass of water and Zayn's medications for him to take.

"Take them, now." Chris said sternly, to which Zayn nodded and took his medication with Chris standing by to make sure he did take them. Even went to the extent to check Zayn's mouth to make sure he didn't only pretend to take them and hide them under his tongue or something.

"I did take them, I swear" Zayn said rolling his eyes.

"Fine, go take a shower, I'm ordering breakfast and we're leaving in an hour so hurry up."

"Yes mother" Zayn said and quickly ran towards the bathroom before Chris could throw a pillow at him.

Chris ordered their breakfast and after a few minutes decided to call Eleanor.

"What"

"Hello to you too, sunshine" Chris said while rolling his eyes.

"Did he take his medicine?"

"Yes, ma'am. Even checked his mouth to make sure he hadn't only pretended to."

"Chris that's so gross, I just asked you to make sure he took his medication not look for cavities"

"Seriously? When you threaten me by saying you're gonna tell Liam that Zayn ran way with his lover, I had to make sure he truly did take his medication"

"Yeah well it worked. Besides we haven't seen Liam in the past two days, his parent said something about no visitors until further notice or something like that"

"Well at least we know that your big mouth hasn't spilt that Zayn and I traveled to the states so I guess that's a good thing"

"Christopher that when you come back, the last thing you'll ever see is me killing you"

"Is that an actual threat? Cause I'm pretty sure I can call the cops and let them know"

"What the hell are they going to do to me? Nothing, wanna know why? Cause I'm incredible"

"Incredibly annoying"

Just as Eleanor was going to start screaming at him, there was a knock on the door followed by a "room service".

"Oh what do you know, our food is here. Bye!" He hung up and went to open the door and allow the employee to bring their food in. He gave him a tip just as Zayn stepped out of the shower.

Chris thanked the guy before closing the door and making his way to his bed.

"Hurry up and eat, we need to leave soon." He sat down and grabbed his plate while he watched Zayn walk around the room while he finished getting ready.

"If I had known you were going to act like my mother, I wouldn't have said yes on you coming along"

Chris rolled his eyes and continued eating, "Did you charge your phone?"

"Ah crap, no I didn't. I'll leave it charging cause I'm sure it won't be fully charge by the time we leave. Besides, if anyone needs us they can also call you"

Chris nodded, Zayn sat down on his own bed and began eating.

"So that means you have no idea what Ruth said?"

Zayn shook his head before replying with his mouth full, "No but if it was important she would have texted you don't you think?"

Chris looked at Zayn frowning, "Zayn, she doesn't have my phone number"

"Oh" Zayn said before shrugging and filling up his mouth with food again. "It's okay, I'll call her when we come back from the hospital"

"Will you stop eating with your mouth full?"

Zayn chuckled and stood up to put on his shoes, "Let's get going mother, were running late"

Chris looked at the time, "No we're not"

"We will be if we don't leave now" Zayn said making his way to the door.

"Oh come on, wait will you?" Chris quickly stuffed his mouth with food, grabbed the hotel key and his phone before running after Zayn.

The ride to the hospital was only 20 minutes but it felt like an eternity with Zayn fully awake and aware and not once shutting up on the way there.

"Pay the good man, will ya?" Zayn said before hoping out of the cab, basically running into the hospital.

"Is he always that chatty?" The uber driver asked as Chris just sat there staring at Zayn.

"As of lately, yes."

"Good luck" The uber driver chuckled as Chris got out.

"Hurry up!" Zayn yelled out to Chris, who quickly caught up to him.

The first person Zayn saw was the lovely Sarah at the front desk. He smiled and ran over to the desk, Sarah hadn't looked up when she said "Welcome, how can I help you?"

"Well you could give me a hug you know?" Zayn smiled as he watched Sarah look up and basically scream her lungs out upon seeing Zayn.

"Oh my gosh! Look at you, I've missed you. How are you? How's your husband? How is your family?" She asked once she made her way around the desk to give Zayn a hug, who gladly returned it.

"I've missed you too. I'm doing okay, my husband not so much. And I would say my family is doing alright. This is my friend Chris by the way" Zayn said as he pulled away and pointed at Chris.

Chris smiled and held his hand out, "Nice to meet you, Zayn has told me about you"

Sarah shook his hand, "Good things I hope, or else" She said glancing over at Zayn who only shrugged playfully.

"All good things, I promise." Chris smiled, earning a smile from Sarah.

"Well what are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to the new director, Dr.Fry"

"Fray, sweetheart. It's Dr.Fray" Sarah chuckled

"Ohhh, that actually makes more sense"

"Well you're stupid." They heard someone say. They turned around to see a guy around their age. To Zayn he looked sorta like Harry, but not as tall, and much more well, not as goofy.

"Damien, don't be rude." Sarah said sternly, to which, Damien, did not reply to. He only stared at Zayn, which they all felt was sorta weird but no one said a word.

"Damien, did you need something?" Sarah asked, to which Damien finally turned to her.

"Uh, yeah, but I forgot what it was"

Sarah rolled her eyes, "Okay, go along then. I'm taking these two to see Dr.Fray."

"Oh no, don't worry about it, I can take them there. Really." Damien said smiling at Zayn and Chris.

Chris stared at him because something didn't feel right about the guy but really he wasn't one to judge.

"Alright only because I need to finish with these papers." Sarah replied as she made her way back to her seat.

"It was great to see you darling." She said at Zayn, who waved at her as him and Chris followed Damien.

"I'm Damien by the way, I'm sorry for what I said. I was just a little bit irritated." Damien said as he smiled back at, well at Zayn before turning back around.

Chris turned to look at Zayn who was already looking at him, they both shrugged and continued following the guy.

"We're Zayn and Chris." Chris said since he felt it would be rude not to reply, no matter how much he didn't trust the guy already.

"Which one are you?" Damien asked while turning to look at Zayn.

"I'm Zayn" He said nodding.

"Zayn. Very nice name." Damien said more to himself than anything. As they arrived to what seemed to be Dr.Fray's office, Damien stopped making them stop as well.

He turned to the two, "If you need help with anything or need help getting around, I'd be glad to help you out" Again, only looking at Zayn.

He smiled at Zayn before walking away.

"Is it only me or does that guy seem, well odd?"

"Don't be silly, Chris. Now come on let's talk to the doctor"


	8. Chapter 8

"So, what you're saying is that you received a letter from one of our patients?" Dr. Fray asked looking at both Zayn and Chris.

"Yes, that's what we're saying. I received it almost a month ago, and I really just want to know how Ruby was able to get my address." Zayn replied

"Sir, I can assure you that there was no possible way for one of our patients to gather such information as that, especially since you said you've moved homes since you were here as a patient"

"How do you explain the letter then?" Chris asked looking at the doctor.

"I don't know, I can talk to her and try to figure out it was she obtained your home address"

"Can we not see her?"

"No, sir. Unfortunately, she isn't allowed to have visitors."

"Not even if it's her birthday?" Zayn asked, Chris glancing between Zayn and the doctor.

The doctor sighed, "Fine, but it will have to be supervised."

"Why? And how come she can't have visitors?" Zayn asked as the doctor stood up, followed by him and Chris.

They followed the doctor out of his office as he explains, "I've only been here for the past two years, but from reading the patients files, I found that Ruby only started acting differently a few months before I arrived. No one is really sure why, but I'm guessing it had to do with Miss Clara leaving and all"

They followed him down the hall, "Why did she leave?" Zayn asked, noticing Damien down the hall looking over at them as they walked.

"She was offered to be director at another hospital. She had always wanted to be director but was never given the opportunity here. Everyone was pretty happy for her, I only met her a week before she left and I took over her job"

"Are you talking about Miss Clara?" They turned around to see Damien walking with them, Dr. Fray looked at him sighing.

"Damien, this isn't really none of your business. Please go back to either your room or the day room."

"Why? I told Zayn here I could help him out in whatever he needed. I know the place like the back of my hand" Damien smiled, turning to look over at Zayn.

Chris bit his bottom lip to prevent himself from laughing, turning away. Zayn noticed and turned to look at Damien.

"That's really nice of you, Damien. But I think Dr. Fray has that covered, he's been very helpful." Zayn said, nodding his head once and elbowing Chris' ribs.

Chris groaned and turned to look at Zayn, Damien looked over at Chris then back at Zayn. "Alright, if you say so. But if Dr. Fray here can't help you out, come to me" He said, winking at Zayn before walking away.

"Wow, the subtleness of the guy" Chris said as he and Dr. Fray began walking once again. Zayn looked at Damien as he walked away before shaking his head and catching up to the other two.

Damien made his way to the front desk, resting his arms on the counter, sighing deeply.

"Can I help you Damien?" Sarah asked, raising her eyebrows curiously.

"Have you ever been in love, Sarah?" Damien asked as he took another sigh, smiling wide.

"Uh, yes, Damien. May I remind you that I've been married for nearly 25 years"

"I thought I was in love once, but it was all a lie, I was just scared then"

Sarah looked up from her computer to look at him sympathetically. "Damien, that's over. It's been over, you know that no one will ever hurt you that way again."

Damien looked at her as he spoke, "I know. I know that I'm safe here. She never really beat me, she was just very- "

"Verbally abusive, I know, darling." Sarah cut him off, "We know that what she did to you was horrible, we know that all the abuse is the reason you're here. We'll you not letting yourself get help, but that was only when you first got here, you were smitten over her, despite the abuse she put you through. You're getting better now and that's what matters"

"I guess, it's still hard though, but I think I just met the reason I want to get better." He said smiling.

Sarah chuckled, "And who may that be?"

Damien shook his head, "Still don't trust you to the fullest Sarah, I'm sorry"

"Boy, you come to me every chance you can when there's something bother you. What do you mean you don't trust me yet?"

Damien shrugged, "Like you said, I'm getting better, doesn't mean I trust everyone already"

Sarah rolled her eyes, then noticed a family walking in. "Welcome, how can I help you?"

Damien stepped aside as he watched what looked like a family of three step up to the desk.

"We're here to admit our son" The lady said, Damien looked at the guy and rolled his eyes.

The dude to him didn't look like he really needed to be admitted into the hospital. He looked fine, probably just upset he was being left there but other than that he seemed fine.

"Name?"

"Liam Payne"

Damien watched as Sarah helped the family out, the guy, Liam, seemed like he was ready to run out any minute if his family got distracted.

"Damien?"

He turned to look at Sarah, "Can you do me the favor of getting Dr. Fray here? He would want to speak to the family before showing Mr. Payne here to his assigned room."

Damien looked over at Liam, who was looking back at him. He nodded and walked off to the visiting area, which is where he knew Dr. Fray would be, with Zayn and the other guy whose name he didn't care to remember.

Dr. Fray was just outside the visiting area, watching Zayn and his friend wait for whoever they were here to see.

"Dr. Fray, Sarah needs you in the front desk. A family just arrived." Dr. Fray turned to look at Damien, thanking him before walking away. Damien stayed there, looking at Zayn through the window.

He seemed nervous, his friend, Connor, Damien believed was his name, helping him stay calm.

The patient door then opened, out walked Ruby along with one of the nurses. Ruby's face lit up as she looked over at Zayn sitting on the other side of the table, her eyes moving to look at Chris confused before sitting down across from them.

"Hi Ruby, how are you?" Zayn asked reaching over to take her hands in his.

"Hi Zayn, I've missed you. I'm okay, how are you doing?"

"I'm alright. This is my friend Chris." Zayn said turning to look at Chris before turning to Ruby.

Ruby looked at him, smiling slightly, "Hello, nice to meet you."

"Hi, likewise." Chris replied, before Zayn spoke again.

"Ruby, the reason we're here is because almost a month ago I received a letter from you."

To that Ruby frowned as she listened to Zayn, "You asked me to come visit you for your birthday and that Ethan and Liam would love that as well. Except it concerns me that it arrived at my new home and I just wanted to know how you were able to get my address"

Ruby shook her head, "Zayn, I didn't send you a letter."

Zayn and Chris stared at her, "What do you mean you didn't send the letter?"

"I have no clue what your address is, and I would never send you a letter asking you to come visit me, I believed you had forgotten about me and since you've gone on with your life I didn't think it was right for me to ever remind you of this place. I promise you that I never sent a letter to you."

Zayn and Chris looked at each other, Zayn quickly pulling out the letter to show Ruby. "This isn't from you?"

Ruby looked over the letter, reading it before handing it back. "Not my handwriting"

Zayn was more worried than he had been when he had decided to fly to the states and ask Ruby about it.

"Excuse me, can we have a pen and paper?" Chris asked the nurse, who reluctantly agreed and left to retrieve the items.

Once he had returned and handed them to Chris, Chris slid them over to Ruby and asked her to write what the letter said, word for word. Once she was done, they compared the letter to her writing, and sure enough the handwriting was different, not even similar whatsoever.

Zayn began to panic but Chris quickly helped calm him down, "Deep breaths, we're going to find who sent this okay? It's going to be okay."

He took deep breaths, calming himself down before turning to Ruby. "Who else knows about Ethan and Liam?"

Ruby frowned and shrugged, "I honestly don't know. I feel like it was all in my head to try to get closer to you, and it was probably something that had to do with the medication I was being given at the time. Once my medication was changed I've been fine. I really don't know how to explain how I saw them Zayn, I'm sorry."

"Ruby, when I saw Ethan, he looked exactly like Chris" Zayn said as he pointed as his friend who was waiting for Ruby's reaction.

Her eyes moved to Chris then shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. The hallucination I saw looked nothing like him, he was paler, hazel eyes and blonde hair. That I remember"

Zayn stared at Ruby and he couldn't believe that the entire time he had been seeing hallucinations, and Ruby saying she had seen them too, they were nothing alike. And there being absolutely no explanation as to why she even saw, well pretended to see what Zayn saw, was much more frustrating.

"I'm really sorry, Zayn"

He felt like crying, not only did Ruby not see the same hallucinations as him, but she didn't send the letter either, meaning someone else did and he genuinely felt like his life and Liam's life were in danger.

"Zayn, we should go" Chris whispered, Zayn nodded and got up, making his way out of the visiting area, not even say bye to Ruby. Chris apologized to her and ran after Zayn, only to bump into him and Damien.

To Chris' surprise, Damien was hugging Zayn, who was crying on Damien's shoulder.

"Zayn?" He frowned as he waited for Zayn to pull away from the hug.

"I'm sorry" Zayn said pulling away and making his way to be by Chris' side.

"It's okay, I didn't mind it at all" Damien smiled at him, Chris didn't feel right letting Damien hug Zayn so he led the way back towards the exit. Damien following behind, Zayn sniffling on his shoulder. Chris rubbed his side soothingly as they walked.

Right before they could reach the lobby, Chris stopped in his tracks, making Zayn look up and look at what Chris was looking at.

He gasped seeing Liam standing a few feet from them, looking back at them. Liam was with Dr. Fray and his parents.

"Liam? What are you doing here?" Zayn asked as he pulled away from Chris.

"I could ask you the same thing" Liam said, just barely above a whisper

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

"Zayn, what are you doing here?" Liam asked once again, a little louder that time.

Zayn looked over at Chris before turning back to Liam, "I came to visit Ruby"

Liam frowned, "Ruby? The little girl you met while you were here?"

Zayn nodded while biting his lip nervously.

"So, you're telling me, that after five years of absolutely nothing, you finally decide to come see her? Without even letting me know?" Liam sounded hurt, more towards the end.

"I-" Zayn looked over at Liam's parents before turning back to Liam. Liam turned to look at his parents.

"You knew he was coming here?"

Both his parents shook their heads, Liam facing Zayn once again.

"Answer me."

"Liam, baby" Zayn sighed before stepping toward Liam, placing his hands on his cheeks, their foreheads touching.

Upon seeing this, Damien frowned and turned to look at Chris, "They're together?" He whispered.

Chris gave him a quick glance, nodding once before turning back to Liam and Zayn. "Married, actually"

Damien clenched his fists on his sides, before stomping away, everyone unaware of it.

"I got a letter about a month ago, it said it was from Ruby but it was to our address. Something she can't get. So Chris and I came down to see her and ask her about it. She says it wasn't her, and she proved it by comparing her handwriting to the one in the letter" Zayn quickly explained. "I couldn't tell you, well because there was no way of contacting you and I wanted to get it done as soon as possible"

Liam frowned as Zayn explained the reason he was there but he truly believed him. "You could have told Ruth"

"I know, but I truly believed it was Ruby who sent it and since it's not, I'm worried now. For both of us"

"Okay that's enough. Dr.Fray, would you please show Liam to his room" Karen said, breaking Zayn and Liam apart, Zayn surprised at what he had heard.

"You're going to be a patient here?" He asked looking at Liam, "Why didn't you tell me about this? How could you just bring him all the way down here to get admitted, without telling, oh I don't know, his husband?" Zayn turned to Karen, who didn't reply.

"I had no choice." Liam answered.

"No, you're coming home with me." Zayn said as he took a hold of Liam's hand in his.

"Zayn, he's already been admitted. You can't just take him." Dr.Fray explained.

"Yes I can, I'm his husband and I didn't sign those papers. His parents don't have the right to do that." Zayn said looking from Liam's parents to the doctor.

"They have just as much right as you do."

"Then that means Zayn being the husband can deny the admission" Chris added as he walked over to his friends. "Zayn can refuse to let Liam be a patient here"

"Sadly, not this time. Especially when he literally just came in. Now, please let him go, I need to take him to his room." Dr.Fray said taking a step close, Zayn immediately standing between him and Liam, not letting go of Liam's hand.

"Zayn, please. Don't make this difficult" Dr.Fray sighed.

"No. He's going with me. What kind of hospital doesn't let the spouse make decisions for their partner?"

"One that already has the permission for the parents and their signatures. Now, I suggest you let go before I take it upon myself and call security."

"Call them, I don't care."

"Just let him take Liam" Karen said, sounding very upset. "You got better here, why don't you want the same for Liam? Don't you want Liam to get better, well this is the place for that"

Zayn looked over at her, and as much as he hated to admit, she was right. He did get better when he was here, and thanks to the hospital he was able to continue his life, somewhat normally. He turned to look at Liam, his eyes watering, he stared at him for what seemed like forever, well until Karen cleared her throat really.

"I love you, and I'm so sorry." Zayn said before gently pecking Liam's lips then letting go of his hand. Chris took the opportunity to get ahold of Zayn in case he changed his mind last minute.

Liam started sniffling as he watched Chris walk Zayn towards the lobby, Zayn looking back at Liam. Liam could tell that it was taking so much out of him to not pull away and run back to Liam.

"And I love you." Liam whispered, as Dr.Fray also led him away, and escorted him to his room.

"Why didn't you fight?" Chris asked as him and Zayn reached the lobby.

"Because no matter how much I want to be with Liam and take him home. Karen is right, Liam needs all the help he can get and this place is going to give it to him." Zayn said as he looked over at the hallway they were just in, wiping the tears that had streamed down his cheeks.

"I'm guessing we're not going home any time soon" Chris said making Zayn turn and look at him.

"No, you can go back home. I think I'm staying here until Liam gets released." Zayn said sniffling a bit.

"Zayn, that could take months, maybe more."

"I don't care. 'To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death' is what I promised, I'm not going home without Liam."

"Did you really have to say basically all the vow?" Chris asked raising his eyebrows slightly.

"No, but it makes for a better dramatic exit." Zayn said making his way towards the exit.

"Wait, what?" Chris frowned shaking his head a bit. Zayn pushing both doors wide open and walking out of the building. "You've got to be kidding me" Chris quickly caught up to him as they requested an Uber to take them back to the hotel.

"I'll even get an apartment close by to come every day to see him." Zayn said, determined to stay.

"You're absolutely crazy. In a good way." Chris said as he looked at Zayn.

"Crazy in love" He nodded as he crossed his hands over his chest.

"Okay, Beyoncé. You can come see Jay-Z tomorrow, don't you worry." Chris said earning punch on the arm from Zayn.

Inside, Dr.Fray was explaining to Liam the rules and guidelines of the facility. Liam really wasn't paying much attention, he was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the wall. Only nodding from time to time.

"Well, that's basically it. You can change out of your clothes, take a shower or even nap if you wish. A nurse will be coming back in a while to escort you to get a physical." Dr.Fray said, smiling at Liam and his parents.

"Thank you so much, doctor. I know Liam will get the treatment and care he needs here with you." Karen said, Liam rolling his eyes before looking down at his hands. Playing with his wedding ring, sighing softly.

"Give me that." Liam looked up to see his mother holding her hand out.

"Absolutely not, you're not taking my ring away from me." Liam said covering his left hand with his right.

"Actually Liam, you have to. No patient is allowed to have any type of jewelry." Dr.Fray added in.

"No."

"Liam."

"I said no."

"If you don't give me the ring you will regret it so much."

"Oh yeah? What are you going to do to me? Ground me and not let me see Zayn for the next two weeks until I bring up my grades? News flash mother, I went through so much worse five years ago, there's nothing you could do now that would make me fear you as much as I feared losing my life back then."

"Liam, just give your mother the ring, please" His father spoke up after everyone had been quiet.

Liam shook his head as he removed the ring and not so nicely handed it to his mother. He looked away as his parents were about to leave.

"We love you, Liam."

"Bye" Liam replied still not looking towards his parents until they closed the door behind themselves and he was alone. He started crying and curled up in bed, really wishing Zayn had been able to take him home with him.

Damien watched as Dr.Fray walked with Liam's parents, made sure they were out of sight and far enough that they couldn't hear anything. He made his way towards Liam's room, he placed his ear against the door to hear if he could hear anything.

All he could hear was sniffling and sobs, he smirked before walking away.

"I'm gonna make the guy's time here absolutely miserable. If he thinks he can just come here and get all of Zayn's attention, he's sadly mistaken. He's mine." He said to himself as he walked down the hall.

"Damien? Who are you talking to?" He turned around and saw Sarah staring at him confused.

Damien chuckled and shook his head, "No one, just thinking aloud."

"Alright, don't make me get your medication changed, or increased." She said before making his way to the lobby.

"Don't worry, Sarah! I'm great!" He said after her before quickly making his way to his room. He looked out the window just in time to see Zayn and Cornelius getting into a car, and watching them drive off.

"You're mine, and I'm not going to let anyone get in the way of that, especially not that huge cry baby in the other room." 

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

"How on Earth are you going to find a house or apartment near the hospital that's available?" Chris asked as Zayn used his laptop to search places for rent.

"There are many places available for rent, Chris. They don't necessarily need to be near the hospital, as long as I have a place here I can go visit Liam as much as I want. Make sure he's okay and all"

"Pretty sure the whole reason he's even in the hospital is to keep him away from you" Chris said raising his eyebrows at Zayn.

"The only thing I know is that Liam is hospitalized and he needs me, everything else is unnecessary" Zayn waved him off as he scrolled through the website.

"Uh, I doubt his parents signed you up to be a visitor. Hell you weren't even supposed to know he was going to be there"

"Again, unnecessary details"

Chris sighed and decided to not keep talking about it, because anyone who knew Zayn knew just how stubborn he was.

Thirty minutes later, Chris was woken up from his nap by a very excited Zayn jumping onto his bed.

"I found the perfect apartment! And it's only two blocks away from the hospital! Not only that, but super cheap too" Zayn grinned widely.

Chris pushed him off the bed before groaning and sitting up, "When are you going to go see it?"

"Well with how great the deal was, I called the owner and told him I wanted to rent the place and he said I should go over and sign the contract right now. So come on, let's go!"

"Wait you're going to rent a place without even looking at it?"

"It's close to Liam, the way the apartment looks is just un-"

"Yeah, yeah, unnecessary details" Chris stood up as he began to follow Zayn out the door, who was way too excited to have found an apartment so easily.

After meeting with the owner and signing the contract, he handed Zayn the keys over and told him he's free to move in right away.

"Were there pictures of the apartment online?" Chris asked as they walked down the hall towards the apartment.

"No, but I went with my gut so how bad can it be?" Zayn said as he unlocked the door, upon opening it, Chris was left shocked and speechless.

"It's perfect" Zayn said as he stepped in, taking his coat off.

"Are you joking? This place is a complete dump!" Chris said as he stayed by the door looking at the apartment, which was just one room. There was a beatdown oven in one corner with a small and ugly refrigerator next to it. Across from that was a incredibly disgusting looking toilet and what seemed to be a small sink, which really, was just the faucet and no actual sink. The walls were in bad shape, the wallpaper hanging off it, some places even missing it. The floors creaked and Chris was genuinely scared that if Zayn took a wrong step he'd go through the floor. The room was only lit up by a single light bulb hanging in the middle of the ceiling, which flickered by the way.

"Zayn, please tell me you're not seriously going to stay here" Chris said finally stepping in, looking over at Zayn who was standing proudly at the middle of the room.

"Of course I am, besides I'll be most of the day at the hospital anyway, so I'll just come here to sleep and such."

"This place doesn't even have a shower Zayn. And your "bathroom" is right across your "kitchen". Literally"

Zayn looked over at the appliances and shrugged, "They're just-"

"I swear if you say unnecessary details, I will drag you out of here and give the keys back to the owner. This is ridiculous. How much are you paying for this anyway?"

"$50 a month"

Chris shook his head, "You could live in a incredibly much better hotel room for that same amount"

"Per day, $50 per day. This one is $50 per month. See, great deal."

"You're crazy if you think I'm actually going back to England, leaving you in this place." Chris said as he made his way to the door, a rat running past his feet, making him scream and jump.

"Seriously!? Absolutely not, we're leaving!"

Zayn rolled his eyes but followed him anyway. He was made to wait outside the building while Chris spoke to the owner and voided the contract immediately, giving the keys back.

"Great, now I need to look for a new apartment." Zayn said crossing his arms over his chest.

"Zayn, this is ridiculous. I understand that you want to be close to Liam, and be there for him. But you're not supposed to be, you're supposed to go back home. To take care of yourself, besides, you only brought enough medication to last you a week. You need to go back. And I hate doing this to you, but that's that. You're going back home with me. Liam knows how to take care of himself."

"Obviously he can't or he wouldn't be in the hospital now would he?" Zayn said frowning at Chris.

"You know what I mean, Zayn. He's in good hands, you were there once and you got better, he can too."

Zayn sighed and looked away, he knew Chris was right. He couldn't stay there but he wanted to. He didn't want to leave Liam, he wanted to show his husband he cared about him and that he would stop at nothing to make sure he got better.

"You're going home. And that's final." Chris said making Zayn turn and look at him, he hesitated but nodded motherless.

"We're leaving tomorrow night, so you can go visit Liam tomorrow morning, and let him know that you did want to stay, but you can't."

"I just hate knowing he's in there against his will. I know how it feels, and I don't want him to go through the same thing I did."

"Zayn, I don't want this to sound harsh, but Liam doesn't have what you do. Liam is clinically depressed and still recovering from the traumatic event he went through. He probably has PTSD, but he will be okay. He'll get the treatment he needs and he will get better. You can't compare your situation with his."

"Right, cause he's still recovering from something traumatic and I'm just fucking crazy"

"That's not what I said."

"Sounded like it."

"No. I said you can't compare the two, yours was triggered from losing Liam, you already had it in you, you just hadn't shown any symptoms or signs of it. You were born with it. Liam wasn't, Liam obtained it by going through a traumatic event that can scar someone mentally and emotionally. You can't compare them, they're both different and must be treated differently. What you experienced in there won't be the same experience he'll have. Different doctors will be treating him, and doing different treatments to him than what you got and received. Just trust that he's in good hands, you were."

Zayn looked at his best friend with tears in his eyes, he knew Chris was right but he wanted so badly for him to be wrong. For him to change his mind and say "Zayn, Liam needs you and you're going to be here for him" but he knows that's not the case.

"Okay. Let's go home" Chris smiled sadly at him, and gave him a hug.

"You can still help him you know."

"How?" Zayn asked as he pulled away.

"Try finding whoever wrote you that letter. If you think both your lives are in danger than try to find that person."

Chris was right, Zayn did need to find out who had sent that letter and soon. He was going to need his friends' help though, and for that he has to go home.

He would be able to help Liam after all. 

 


	11. Chapter 11

"Liam?"

Liam looked over at the therapist he had been assigned to, he honestly couldn't remember his name, mostly he didn't care to.

"You've been staring out the window for ten minutes. Want to tell me what you're thinking?"

"No, not really."

"What's bothering you?"

"Nothing"

"It can't be nothing, there must be something bothering you"

"What? Just cause I'm a patient here automatically means there's something bothering me and or there's something going on?" Liam asked, a bit annoyed

"No, I'm just saying because it's your first day here and you don't want to talk, so there must be something bothering you. Being sent here, probably"

"You know what bothers me? Not being able to be or see my husband. He's the only one who could help but no, instead I'm here talking to a complete stranger who has been faking trying to get to know me and understand me."

The therapist, Dr.Sanders, just stared at him.

"Can I go back to my room? I'd rather be there than here, no offense."

"What if I told you, I could help you out with your husband situation?"

Liam looked at him, squinting his eyes slightly, "How?"

"Well, I can place him on your visitors list, and since you're an adult, we don't have to give out information on who comes to see you if anyone asks. Even your parents."

"What's the catch?"

"What makes you think there's a catch?"

"Please, there's always a catch. My husband has always said 'don't make a deal with anyone until you know every single one of their conditions and only ever accept if it benefits you'."

"He says that? I'm guessing he does a lot of deals then."

"No. But he's smart."

"I see." Dr.Sanders looked at Liam before nodding. "Well, if I do that for you, you must come see me at least once a week, to try and help you improve."

"Figured." Liam said crossing his arms over his chest. Honestly, Liam just wanted to leave because he didn't really want to come see this so called therapist once a week, but he also didn't want to miss the opportunity of seeing Zayn.

"And you must join an activity."

"An activity? Like what?"

"Well we have groups here, art, music, dance, which I've heard is thanks to your husband, book club, yoga, poetry. You name it"

"Thought this was a mental institution, not a country club"

"It's a not an asylum, Liam. And it's more of a rehabilitation center really. We don't want our patients to feel like they're miserable here, we have many activities to help improve patients' health."

"Got any sports?"

"Sadly, no. We don't have sports in fear of our patients getting injured."

"None of those peak my interest."

"Then I guess you can go back to your room, and your visitor list can continue to consist of just your parents." Dr.Sanders stood up and made his way to open the door for Liam.

Liam stayed seated before turning to look over at him, he stood up and made his way to the door. "I'll do any activity that involves writing, except poetry." With that, Liam walked out of the room, to see Wes waiting for him. He was escorted back to his room, once there he laid in his bed, hoping that Dr.Sanders took that as a deal.

"I forgot to shake on it, dammit" He whispered and sighed.

There was a few knocks on his door, Liam frowned and slowly sat up on his bed. He stared at the door thinking it had been his imagination, but then there was another knock.

"Who is it?"

"Damien."

"Who the hell is Damien?" Liam asked himself. He stood up and walked to the door, he opened it and saw the guy he had seen at the front desk when they arrived but also had been with Zayn when they bumped into each other.

"Yeah?"

"You're Liam, right?" Damien asked as he looked at Liam top to bottom.

"Yeah, that's me. Can I help you?"

"Dr.Fray wants to see you. Something about your stay here." Damien shrugged, as he leaned against the door frame.

"Thanks" Liam said as he walked past him and made his way down the hall. Damien quickly catching up to him.

"Do you even know where his office is?"

"No, but I'll figure it out." Liam said slightly annoyed, he didn't know the guy but just the fact that he was with Zayn earlier didn't sit well with him.

"Yeah okay. You're going to get lost and get in trouble for it." Damien explained as he continued walking next to Liam.

"How do you know Zayn?" Liam stopped walking and turned to Damien. Who didn't look surprised at all as he turned to Liam.

"Met him earlier today, said he was here on a mission and I offered to help if he wanted me to."

"Mission?" Liam frowned, Damien only chuckled and shook his head.

"Sorry, top secret. Don't think you're trusted enough to know."

"I'm his husband." Liam said, clenching his fists.

"And yet he didn't tell you until today, wonder why?" Damien laughed before walking away, leaving a very confused and slightly hurt Liam.

Liam couldn't stand that guy, but he also wasn't going to let him get the best of Liam, he was there to get better whether he liked it or not, so that's what he was going to do.

Liam finally found Dr.Fray's office after like 20 minutes. He knocked on the door, and patiently waited for it to open. Dr.Fray smiled at him after opening the door.

"You have 30 minutes." He said before walking off. Liam was completely confused until he turned to look into his office and saw Zayn sitting on the edge of the desk, smiling at him.

Liam smiled wide and quickly made his way over to his husband, who didn't hesitate to take him in his arms and press their lips together.

Liam really could stop smiling so they pulled away, "How?"

Zayn chuckled before reaching to close the door of the office, "He's not a bad guy, and really does want to help you out so he allowed me to see you."

"I wish we could go home instead, I don't want to be here." Liam sighed, sitting down on one of the chairs, Zayn sitting down on the one next to it.

"I know, but I can assure you, you're going to be okay. I was here before remember?"

Liam nodded as he held Zayn's hand tightly, something they really hadn't done in a while. They had become so distant they hadn't really noticed until now.

"I'm leaving tomorrow. I'm going back home." Zayn spoke up after a few minutes of silence.

Liam teared up as he turned to look at Zayn, "Can't you stay here?"

"I was trying to find an apartment nearby for me to rent until you were released but I only brought enough medication for a week. So even if I didn't leave tomorrow, I would have to leave in a week." Zayn explained as he gently rubbed the back of Liam's hand out his thumb.

"I understand. But you'll come and visit me when you get the chance right?"

Zayn nodded as he reached to wipe away the tear that was falling down Liam's cheek. "Of course, my love. I also need to figure out who sent that letter, I fear for both of us."

Liam nodded, "We'll be okay right? There's no one trying to hurt us or anything?"

Zayn shrugged, "I hope not, which is why I need to figure out who it was. And why they would pretend to be someone else."

They sat there, just holding hands, basically enjoying being together. Not talking, just sitting there.

"Hey Zayn?"

"Hm?" Zayn looked at him, waiting for Liam to continue.

"I love you."

Zayn smiled and leaned forward to peck on Liam's lips, "And I love you" 

 

 


	12. Chapter 12

"Zayn, you were supposed to come home with Chris, what on earth were you thinking?!"

He had his phone away from his ear while Eleanor yelled at him for deciding to stay in the states instead of boarding the plane.

_"Hey, I'm gonna go to the restroom really quick" Zayn said, Chris turning to look at him._

_"Seriously? We're about to board the plane. Can't you wait until we're seated?"_

_Zayn shook his head, "No, it's a big emergency. Go ahead and board the plane, I won't be long." Chris stared at Zayn, shaking his head at him._

_"You better hurry" Zayn nodded and ran off towards the direction of the restroom._

_Chris sighed and began walking down the line to board the plane._

_"Where is he?" Chris asked himself as he looked at the direction of the door, waiting for Zayn to come in. The plane was nearly full but Zayn still wasn't back from the restroom. Another five minutes passed before Chris stood up, only to be stopped by one of the flight attendants._

_"Sir, please sit down, we're going to take off in a minute. Put your seatbelt on."_

_"What? No, you don't understand. My friend is going to board the plane right now, he went to the restroom."_

_"We're sorry, sir. The door have been closed and no one else is allowed to board the plane. Please take a seat."_

_Chris couldn't believe it, Zayn was going to miss their flight and all because he couldn't hold it in. He sighed and sat down, putting his seat belt on. Chris looked out of the plane window, and faintly caught what seemed to be Zayn looking at him from the gate they were just in._

_Zayn waved and grinned at Chris before walking away._

_"That asshole." Chris whispered, just as the captain announced they were about to take off._

"You don't have your medication with you Zayn! You need it! You better find the next flight back home or I swear that whenever I see you again, my face will be the last thing you see, ever."

Zayn rolled his eyes, before placing the phone back to his ear. "Are you done?"

"Yes."

"I'm fine, don't you worry about me. Besides, I've got a plan." Zayn said as he looked up at the building. "I've got this under control."

"What are you going to do exactly?" Eleanor asked.

"Don't you worry about it. If my parents ask where I am, tell them I'm with Liam. They'll understand."

"Huh?"

"Bye Eleanor" Zayn hung up before she could reply, and began walking towards the entrance and into the building.

"Zayn, sweetheart. What are you doing here?" Sarah asked as he approached the front desk.

"Well, believe it or not, I've come to admit myself into the hospital."

Sarah looked at him confused, hoping he was joking, except Zayn was completely serious.

"Is there something wrong? I thought you were doing better now, seeing doctors and having controlled medication?"

"Oh yeah, but here's the thing. I moved to the states, and wasn't able to find doctors who could give me the same amount of treatment and medications as my last doctors did. And until I find someone, I really don't want to risk my crazy and delusional mind to be out on its own and in public. You know what I mean?" He lied to her, smiling sadly at the end.

Sarah looked at him sympathetically before nodding her head, "Alright, I'll fill out your forms since your informations is still in the system. Why don't you go see Dr.Fray and let him know what's going on? Because he has to approve it"

Zayn nodded, thanked her and made his way towards Dr.Fray's office. This would be easier than he thought.

He was too busy looking down the hallways to notice that someone else was walking down the opposite side of the hallway, bumping into them.

"Oof, I'm so sorry. I should have paid more attention to where I was going" He said, apologizing to the guy he had bumped into.

The guy shook his head, "No it's okay, I was distracted too."

Zayn looked at him, he was a patient, he looked young, 18 probably.

"I'm Zayn, by the way." He said sticking his hand out to the guy.

"Noah. You new?" He said, shaking Zayn's hand.

"You could say that." Zayn shrugged. "I've been here before but I felt like I needed to come back to I came to admit myself."

"You're like me then. My parents didn't think I needed help but I did. So I begged them to get me the help I needed and well here I am"

"Why are you here?"

"I experienced a traumatic event. And ever since then I've had trouble being on my own for the most part, I've become paranoid and don't trust easily. I'm getting better thankfully, but I still have a long way to go."

"How long have you been here?" Zayn asked, because maybe it would help him get an estimate as to how long Liam would be here, since it seemed their situations were very similar.

"Three years."

Zayn stared at him, his heart breaking a bit for Liam. "Oh. How much longer do you need to be in here?"

"Hopefully two more years. If I had come here right after I was back with my family I would probably be out by now."

"Ah, Mr.Malik-Payne." Zayn turned around seeing Dr.Fray walking towards them.

"Sarah told me you would be coming to my office but when you didn't arrive I decided to come look for you. See you've met Noah, here."

"Sorry, I bumped into him on accident and we got to talking." Zayn explained, Noah nodding in agreement.

"That's okay. Sarah basically filled me in on what you were here for. And I completely understand but you also need to understand that I have my suspicions as to why you're really here."

"I know, and trust me, I'm not here to just be close to my husband. I really do want to get the help I need until I'm able to find it elsewhere." Zayn replied, making Dr.Fray nod.

"Very well, you've been approved. So I'll get one of the nurses to come and get you and get you settled."

"Thank you so much." Zayn smiled at the doctor as he walked away, patting Noah on the shoulder as he did.

"Your husband is here too?" Noah asked once the doctor was gone.

"Yeah, he was admitted here a few days ago. He's actually here for the same reason you are."

"Really? What's his name?"

Before Zayn could tell Noah Liam's name, he heard his own. He turned around to see Damien waving and walking his way to them.

"What are you doing here? Came to see me, I'm sure" Damien joked.

Zayn shook his head, "New patient here."

Zayn could have sworn he saw Damien's eyes lit up when he said that, but he tried ignoring it.

"Well, looks like we're gonna be spending a lot of time together then." Damien chuckled, earning a frown from Noah.

"Go along Nick, I've got it from here." Damien said waving Noah off.

"First, it's Noah. It wouldn't hurt you to learn our names, since we've learned yours Derrick. Second, you're not allowed to show any new patient anything, that's what the nurses are for. I'll see you later, Zayn. Don't let this idiot get to you." Noah said as he walked away,

Damien rolled his eyes before turning to look at Zayn, "So, what are you in for?" He asked wiggling his eyebrows.

Zayn frowned before shaking his head slightly, "First degree murder."

Damien stared at the spot Zayn had been after Zayn decided it was time to walk away and go look for a nurse to help him out.

Zayn made his way down the hallway back to the lobby, seeing Noah talking to Sarah. "Hey, is everything ready for me be sent to a room?"

Sarah smiled at him and nodded, "Yes sweetheart. I've asked Noah here to show you to your room, since it's right next to his. If that's okay?"

"Of course, that's completely okay with me. We met a few minutes ago, and looks like we're gonna get along very well" Zayn smiled, earning a smile from Noah in return.

As they made their way to Zayn's room, Zayn wondered where Liam was at. If his room was going to be close to his own or if it was in a completely different floor or section.

"So how old are you my dear Noah?"

"I'm 19."

"You're young." Zayn said, earning a small chuckle from Noah.

"Yeah, was about to turn 14 when I was kidnapped and kept in a basement."

Zayn stopped in his tracks, making Noah stop with him and look at him confused.

"You okay?"

"Where did that happen?"

"Uh, London. Five years ago."

"How did you get out?"

Noah was feeling slightly uncomfortable but also didn't mind answering Zayn's questions, "Well, there was this one guy who was able to escape, and because of him the police were able to find where we were being held and was rescued."

"A guy? What did he look like?"

"Um, well actually he looks exactly like him" Noah said pointing behind Zayn.

Zayn turned around to only be met with Liam and a nurse a few feet away. They didn't seem to notice Zayn and Noah just yet.

"Exactly like him?" Zayn turned to Noah.

"For all I know that might even be him." Noah whispered, making Zayn turn back to Liam.

"Noah, that's my husband. He was kidnapped and kept in a basement for a year, five years ago."

Liam finally turned, seeing both Noah and Zayn, he smiled but upon taking a good look at Noah he grew confused. Not only because Noah looked extremely familiar but also as to why was Zayn there when he was supposed to be back home?

Zayn turned to Noah then Liam and back to Noah. "You two were held hostage together. Liam was the one who escaped and helped the police find you. You're both here because of what happened five years ago."

Noah didn't say anything, just kept staring at Liam who was staring back at him.

Never did he imagine he'd see the guy who practically saved his life again.  But here they were.

 


	13. Chapter 13

"As was basically just a kid, I didn't think I was going to get out of there alive. Especially after you escaped. But when they made it their priority to try to find you, they didn't worry much about those that they still had." Noah said as he told Zayn and Liam about his own experience being held hostage.

"We wanted to try to escape whenever they would go out and look for you, but we were all terrified. Scared that if we even tried, we wouldn't make it out alive."

Liam looked at Liam, remembering his time in that same basement.

_"What are you doing?" Noah whispered as he saw the guy that wasn't kept separate from them doing something to the chains._

_Liam didn't turn to look at him, "Trying to get these off"_

_"You do realize that you'll never be able to do that?"_

_"You don't know that. I've been trying every day, I'm positive today will be the day I get out of these."_

_Liam kept messing with the chains, Noah watching carefully. The other boys staying away, not wanting to be any part of whatever he was doing, in case he got in trouble and they decided they all needed to be punished for it._

_"You know that's a waste of time and-" Noah was cut off by the chains falling against the floor. Liam rubbed at his wrists as he stood up and made his way to the gate that separated them._

_Just as he was about to try to pick the lock, they heard a truck outside. Liam quickly made his way back to the spot he was at, placing the broken chains on his wrists and laying down, with his hands under him to hide the fact that they were broken, pretending to be asleep._

_Soon after, one of the men opened the basement door and made his way down. He examined the room, before making his way towards the boys, none of them meeting his eyes._

_He then turned towards Liam, who seemed to convince him that he was asleep, the man made his way back upstairs and closed the door behind himself._

_Liam sat up, all of them quiet, waiting. When they heard nothing, Liam decided to stand up again and try to pick the lock, being as quiet as he possibly could._

_"Don't do it." Noah whispered as Liam struggled to pick the lock. Liam looked at him, then at the three boys behind him, probably around the same age._

_"Get out of here, I know that if any one of us are able to make it out of here and get help, it's you. You're much stronger than us, you'll make it far. If one of us, or all of us try to, we'll get caught."_

_Liam looked at him sadly, "I can't leave you here, if they see that I'm gone then they'll try to hurt you. I can't risk that."_

_"Be the hero we know you are." One of the boys said, Fernie, who was the youngest of them all, only 11 years old. "We'll be okay."_

_Liam teared up, shaking his head, "I can't leave you here. I'm risking your lives by escaping."_

_"We'll be okay, we've made it this far." Noah said, smiling lightly at Liam. "Now go"_

_Liam hesitated but nodded nonetheless, he hated leaving them behind but he needed to get help, because who knew how much longer they could take the torture._

_Luckily, the basement door was unlocked, something he wasn't expecting. He slowly and quietly opened it, and looked around. There was no sign of any of them men, so he slowly made his way out of the basement._

_He made his way down the hall, and towards a door that seemed to lead outside, as he walked he looked around to make sure no one was around. It seemed way too easy._

_As he approached the door, he noticed someone talking in the room next to the door. He sucked in a breath and pressed his back against the wall, slowly looking around the corner. There was none around, the noise coming from the television the men seemed to have left on._

_He took a deep breath and quickly made his way to the door and outside. He ran as fast as he could, not looking back._

_He didn't hear anyone behind him, or had seen anyone when he ran out, so he hoped he was in the clear. He also hadn't seen the truck outside, but then again, it could have been parked on the other side of the house. All he knew was that he needed to get away as far as possible and get help._

"Why didn't you ever tell me you hadn't been the only one there? You had said you had spent most of the time alone" Zayn asked Liam, who came back from his thoughts and looked at his husband.

"I had. Noah and the others weren't brought in months after I had. Only a few weeks before I escaped." Liam explained.

It left Liam thinking and he turned to look at Noah, already knowing the answer but scared to hear it either way he asked, "You were the only who survived weren't you?"

Noah looked down at his hands, biting down on his bottom lip, before nodding slowly.

Liam choked up and covered his face, he had heard someone had been rescued but he never knew who, but knowing now that only one of the four kids made it out, it was too much for him.

Zayn hugged him tightly and held him close, "I'm so sorry, Liam.."

Liam cried against Zayn's chest, Noah tearing up as he looked at the two.

He waited until Liam had calmed down a bit before speaking, "I tried to keep them safe, I truly did."

Liam looked towards Noah, tears still running down his face, "What happened to them?"

Noah took a deep breath before speaking, "Vic, he was the first one they took. They asked us where you had left to, we said we didn't know. Vic started crying and told them that it didn't matter, that soon they would get caught. They took him away immediately and he never returned."

Liam's heart was breaking as he listened to Noah, Zayn was in tears as well, holding Liam as close to him as possible.

"Two days later, I believe, they asked us again where you had left to. We told them we didn't really know, that you hadn't said anything when you left. They grabbed TJ, and threatened to hurt him if we didn't say where you had gone to. TJ, being tough as he was, began hitting them as much as he could, to try to get out of their grip, but it was no use, they took him away. Leaving Fernie and myself."

"They then focused on looking for you, not going back down to ask us where you were. But, one day they came down and said that one of us had to go, that they had been distracted long enough and needed us for our intended purpose. Bait. I begged them to take me, to leave Fernie alone. But that only made this worse, they decided to take Fernie, since clearly he meant a lot to me, losing him would hurt more than being used as bait myself, and they thought that was much better." Noah was practically sobbing as he spoke, "He screamed for me to help him, and I tried, I did. I held onto him as tightly as I could but I was no match for them, I was weak and just a kid, they ripped him out of my arms and took him away."

"I screamed and hit the gate, begging them to please not take him away, to take me instead but they didn't listen and left. I couldn't save him." Zayn reached over and took Noah's hand in his, squeezing at it tightly, Noah squeezing it back. "The next day, the police found us, they were arrrsted and I was rescued. But it was far too late for Vic, TJ and Fernie."

"I knew I should have taken you with me.. If I had gotten you out, maybe they would still be here today." Liam said his voice breaking at the end.

"Liam, it's not your fault, you wanted to save them and escaping and finding the police was all you could do. Who knows what could have happened if you tried to save them yourself, maybe none of you would be here today" Zayn said as he looked at Liam then at Noah.

"Or maybe Vic, TJ, and Fernie would still be here even if I wasn't." Liam said turning to Zayn. "They could still be alive."

"Liam, you didn't hurt them. Those men did and they are paying for what they did, and will continue to do so until the day they die."

Liam shook his head and stood up, walking away from them both, tears running down his face. He felt guilty, maybe those boys would still be alive if he hadn't been selfish and escaped. He should have been there with them until the end, he should have saved them and helped them return to their families, but he didn't and he would never forgive himself for it.

 

 


	14. Chapter Fourteen

It's been an entire two months.

Two months.

Two months since Liam was admitted into the hospital, and two months since Zayn admitted himself, and what did that get them?

Absolutely nothing.

After finding out that the three other little boys who had been kept hostage along with himself and Noah had been murdered, he couldn't help but feel guilty for it.

So, Liam's solution was to keep to himself and try to get out of there as quickly as possible.

Of course, this meant that he'd avoid Zayn at all costs, he even requested to be moved to a room as far away from the rest because he didn't want to be near people and only focus on his wellbeing.

Dr.Fray saw nothing wrong with that and approved the move, but it only made Zayn and Liam much more distant.

Zayn felt heartbroken, he tried to hard to always try to see Liam, he learned Liam's schedule and would sneak off to try and get just the smallest glimpse of his husband, but whenever he did, his heart would break and he'd have to walk away. Knowing that Liam didn't want to be near him was a lot, but seeing him completely okay with it and not as broken as Zayn was, was much more heartbreaking.

Zayn became close to Noah, he became protective of him. Took on a parental role when it came to Noah, he'd make sure Noah was always okay and that nothing bothered him or upset him. Noah was still so young and Zayn wanted to be able to help him have a better life, a life in which he wouldn't be identified as the boy who was kidnapped or be recognized for what he went through.

In a way, Zayn was trying to make up for the fact that he wasn't always there for Liam, and wasn't much help. He's trying to make things right, and he believed that by helping and being there for Noah, he was doing good, mostly with the fact that Noah was just like Liam and went through what Liam did. Zayn hoped that by caring for Noah, he wouldn't feel as guilty for not helping Liam.

"Zayn, have you maybe thought about the fact that maybe Liam isn't avoiding you?" Noah asked, as they were seated out in the garden playing chess, which Zayn had no idea how to play.

"What do you mean?" Zayn replied as he looked up from the board to Noah.

"Well, if you think about it, Liam came here not doing well at all. He needed as much help as he could get, he wasn't doing okay mentally and emotionally, so maybe he's just been receiving so much help he doesn't have time for anything other than his time with the doctors and therapists"

"Huh"

"Seriously, truly think about it. You willingly admitted yourself in here but you're more than okay. Your reason for coming here was that you just couldn't go back home and needed help with your health as soon as possible. Which, is a lie because all you needed was your medication but you decided to come here to be close to Liam."

Zayn bit his bottom lip nervously but didn't say a word.

"Liam on the other hand, he really needs help, and a lot of it. So maybe he's not avoiding you, just trying to get better." Noah shrugged as he looked down at the board, beating Zayn for the sixth time in a row.

"I guess you're right."

"Who's right?" Damien asked as he sat down next to Zayn, rather closely I might add.

"Noah."

"About what?"

"Noah says that Liam isn't avoiding me just probably busy getting better" Zayn said nodding his head.

Damien rolled his eyes before turning to look at Noah, "Do you honestly believe that? Like really?"

Noah rolled his eyes as well but didn't reply, he didn't like Damien much, especially with the way he's always trying to have Zayn's attention.

"Zayn, it's been two months and your boyfriend hasn't even tried to talk to you, so trust me he's avoiding you"

"Husband" Noah said frowning at Damien, "And don't say that if you don't know it's true"

"Maybe he should find out don't you think?"

Zayn turned to look at Damien confused, "What do you mean?"

"He's sitting over there" He said looking behind him, to Liam who was sitting down on a bench reading a book.

Zayn's eyes lit up, and he smiled widely, before Noah or Damien could say anything, he got up and made his way towards Liam.

The two watched as Zayn walked to Liam then sit down next to him. They weren't far so they were going to be able to hear whatever it was they were going to say.

"Liam, babe, I've missed you so much. How are you?" Zayn asked leaning to give Liam a kiss on the cheek. But Liam quickly moved away and glared at Zayn.

"Don't kiss me. And what are you even doing here? Don't you get it? I've been avoiding you for the past two months, so leave me alone." Liam said before standing up and walking away, leaving a heartbroken Zayn behind.

"So much for not avoiding him, huh?" Damien said turning to look at Noah with a smug look, Noah glared at him before quickly standing up and making his way over to Zayn.

"Hey, I'm sorry." He said hugging Zayn tightly, who was on the verge of tears.

"You said he wasn't avoiding me." Zayn whispered, his voice cracking at the end.

Noah bit his lip before replying, "In my defense I said maybe"

Zayn looked at him with tear filled eyes and it broke Noah's heart, "I'm so sorry, Zayn.."

Liam tried not to look back as he walked away, but he looked back right before walking inside. Seeing Noah comforting Zayn broke his heart.

Truth was, he hated himself for what he did, not saving the kids. He felt as though if he hadn't thought of only himself, those kids could still be alive. They'd be in high school, ready to graduate and go off to college and start their life.

Except, instead, their bodies had been rotting six feet under all because of Liam the past five years.

Liam made his way to his room, sitting down at the end of his bed looking down at his feet. He sighed, turning to the door as he heard a knock.

"What's up, loner?" Damien asked as he leaned against the door frame.

Liam rolled his eyes and got up to put his book away, Damien stepping into the room.

"You know, the more you avoid him the more time and chances I'll have to steal him away from you."

Liam stayed quiet, his back facing Damien.

"What? Did you go mute? Because I could have sworn you talked awhile ago, you know when you broke your husband's heart"

Liam shook his head and turned to look at Damien. He watched him chuckle and sit down on Liam's bed.

"Let's make a deal. You keep avoiding Zayn, and your life here will be so much easier."

Liam frowned, "What exactly do you mean?"

"Ah so he talks. See little Liam, I run this place, believe it or not. And I get what I want, and what I want is Zayn"

Liam stepped forward and grabbed Damien by his shirt collar, "You stay away from Zayn, he's mine and only mine. He's my husband and I swear on Vic, TJ and Fernie's graves that I'll make sure your life here is a living hell, believe it or not. You don't run things around here, this isn't a prison, Damien. It's a rehabilitation center, so stop acting like you're a big deal, because I'm sure no one aside from Noah, Zayn and I even know who you are."

Damien looked up at Liam, his eyes filled with anger, "You're nothing but a scared puppy. You couldn't even save the lives of those kids what makes you think you can hurt me?"

And with that, Damien was on the floor knocked unconscious from the blow he received from Liam. Except, with Liam's luck, a nurse just happened to pass by the moment he hit Damien, and there was quickly two other nurses along with her, restraining Liam, and one more making sure Damien was okay.

"We're gonna have to keep you on your own for a bit." One of the nurses said to Liam, who really, was as calm as ever and only nodded.

As he was escorted out, Liam watched as Damien woke up and looked up at him. Liam smirked as he exited the room, leaving Damien upset and confused at the same time.

Zayn and Noah happened to catch a glimpse of Liam, both incredibly worried and trying to run to catch up to him, only to be stopped by a few nurses.

"Liam!" Zayn yelled out, Liam turning around to look at him. He mouthed out a sorry and was gone.

"What did he do?" Noah asked, Zayn shaking his head as they looked at the door Liam and the nurses disappeared into.

"I don't know.."


	15. Chapter Fifteen

"So to clarify, Damien provoked you which is why you attacked him?" Dr.Fray asked Liam, who only sighed and covered his face.

"For the fifth time, yes. He told me to stay away from my husband because if I didn't he would make sure my time here would be the worst" Liam said looking over at the doctor, who nodded and wrote down on his notebook.

"I understand that, but you need to understand that we don't tolerate violence here. Which means that for this week, you'll be kept in solitary. Damien will be too, in another part of the facility. We're going to follow up on what you said Damien threatened you with, as well as make sure Zayn doesn't get hurt in any way possible."

"Yeah okay"

The doctor sighed just as there was a knock on the door, "Yes, Sarah?"

"Sorry to interrupt, but there are visitors here for both Liam and Zayn"

Liam turned to look at Sarah, who gave him a friendly smile before excusing herself.

"Since you're here and not already in solitary, I'll allow you to go and see your visitors. But once they leave you're off to be on your own. Understood?"

Liam nodded and stood up, he walked out of the office to, of course, be escorted into the visiting area. Once Liam entered, he looked around and spotted Zayn with Harry and Eleanor.

"Liam! Come here!" Harry smiled as soon as he saw Liam.

"Sir, please keep your voice down" One of the nurses scolded at Harry, who only nodded embarrassingly.

Liam chuckled softly as he made his way towards the table, sitting down next to Zayn. Zayn visually tensed up once Liam was seated, making both Eleanor and Harry frown confused, and Liam feel bad.

"Everything okay?" Eleanor asked looking between the two. Zayn only nodded but didn't turn to look at Liam, kept his gaze on the table.

"Okay... How are you Liam?" Eleanor asked.

"I've been better."

"Aren't you supposed to be better, considering that's what this place is for?" Harry frowned.

Zayn slightly glanced over at Liam before turning back to look at the table.

"This place sucks. I find out that three little boys died because of me five years ago, another one has been a patient here since then, a psycho is out trying to steal Zayn away from me and now I have to spend time in solitary for knocking him unconscious after threatening me to stay away from Zayn"

Zayn quickly turned to look at Liam, "What did you just say?"

Liam looked at Zayn but didn't say a word. "Who threatened you Liam?"

"Don't act so naive, you know very well that since we got here that Damien guy has been trying to get into your pants and you haven't done a single thing to keep him away."

"Are you blaming me for this?" Zayn asked, becoming upset.

Liam turned to fully face Zayn before replying, "Actually, yeah, I am. I'm blaming you for all of it. If you hadn't decided to admit yourself into this place, maybe I'd actually be doing better, I wouldn't have that psycho threatening me, he probably wouldn't be head over heels in love with you and maybe, just maybe, I wouldn't have to spend time in solitary for trying to protect the relationship I don't even know if we have anymore. I was brought here to get better, not to receive more problems, Zayn."

Zayn stared at Liam, not believing what he had just heard, Eleanor and Harry stayed quiet and felt a bit awkward being in the middle of it but couldn't bring themselves to speak up.

"You're seriously going to blame me for all of this?"

"Yes."

"Are you kidding me right now? I admitted myself into this place to be closer to you, why? Oh maybe because you're my husband and I love you and I care about your well being!"

"If you cared about my well being so much then why the fuck did you not notice I hadn't been going to see a therapist for past few years?! Or the fact that I hated being left alone at home while you went out to do god knows what?! If you loved me and cared for me as much as you say you do then why the fuck are you still here?! Leave! I didn't ask to be brought into this place and I sure as hell didn't ask you to come here either! So just fucking leave because it's not like you being here is helping in the slightest!" Liam stared at Zayn, seeing the tears well up in his eyes. He turned to look at Eleanor and Harry, who stared at him in shock. He hadn't realized that he was now standing practically over Zayn and had yelled all that out as everyone else in the visiting area watched on.

  
"Zayn I-" He started but was cut off by Zayn standing up and pushing him away before running out of the visiting area.

"Zayn!" Harry yelled at him as he quickly got up and ran after him, followed by a nurse.

"Well I hope breaking his heart helps you get better quicker." Eleanor said as she stood up, looking at Liam. He turned to look at her, ashamed of himself.

"All he's ever wanted to do was help. I get that you're not feeling so great, no one is saying you should feel great so soon. But the fact that you don't see that he admitted himself into a facility he's not supposed to be in just to make sure you were okay and to be close to you, is heartbreaking. He was just trying to help you through it, Liam." She started to walk away before turning to look at him once again.

"We're taking him home. There's no reason for him to be here when he's been okay on his own. Yeah, he's got his own demons to take care of but he didn't care about them when you were much more important to him. I truly hope you do get better, that's all we want for you. We're all rooting for you, Liam. But we're also rooting for him." Eleanor walked away and out of the visiting area as Liam stood there.

One of the nurses approached him and said he had to leave, he didn't say a word and simply walked out. Another nurse was waiting for him, to escort him to solitary obviously.

"Liam" Liam turned around, seeing Harry approach them. "Can I just have a minute with him please? I promise to make it quick." He said to the nurse, who sighed but agreed nonetheless.

"Harry, I-"

"No. I'm going to talk and you're going to listen."

Liam nodded and looked at Harry, who looked extremely disappointed.

"I love you, you're my best friend and I care about you, but that doesn't mean I'm going to allow you to hurt him the way you did. We all understand that you need time to get better, Liam. No one is expecting you to be the same person you were before it all happened. No one is saying you have to simply forget about everything and go on with your life like it didn't happen. It did, we're all aware of it. Zayn was only trying to help. Maybe he didn't know how you were feeling these past few years, but maybe it's because you were never honest to him about it."

Liam was about to argue to that but Harry held his hand up, "You didn't tell him anything, he didn't tell you anything. Truth is, neither of you were honest with each other. You kept so much from him, from paying your therapist to pretend you did in fact go to your sessions, to the fact that you don't even feel safe in your own home. He kept his own feelings from you because he didn't want you to feel like you had to worry about him when you already had yourself to worry about. You're both to blame here, Liam. Not just him. You both vowed to be honest with each other, to care for each other, to be there for one another through sickness and in health, for richer or poor, until death do you apart."

"I know what I vowed."

"Do you? Because it seems more like you both made empty promises. Neither of you have done what you vowed to do four years ago in front of all of your friends and family."

"Don't put this all on me. I love him more than anything and-"

"I'm putting the blame on both of you, not just you, and not just him. You aren't listening. Not once have I questioned your love for him, but you have questioned his love for you. Which is pretty darn stupid considering he was willing to live in a rat hole of an apartment as long as he was close to you. Or the fact that he had no other choice but to admit himself into the hospital because he came here with only a week's worth of his medication, but because he didn't want to leave you behind what he believed was the next best option was to admit himself into a hospital that could provide him the medication he needs and be close to you without a problem."

Liam didn't respond, just stared at the floor, waiting for Harry to speak up again.

"Worry about yourself while you're in here. We'll worry about him. Get better, Liam. That's all you need to do." Harry walked away, thanking the nurse for allowing him to speak to Liam, as well as apologizing for taking longer than a minute like he said he would.

The nurse escorted Liam away, only stopping outside Dr.Fray's office to let him know he was escorting Liam to solitary. As the nurse did that, Liam was able to look out one of the windows in the hallway, and in the distance he saw Harry walking towards Eleanor and Zayn.

"There was no problem letting him leave." Liam turned to Dr.Fray who was standing next to him watching Zayn.

"He really had no reason to be here, I was doing him a favor by allowing him to stay. He's more than capable of being on his own without a problem as long as he takes his medication. All he wanted to do was, and I quote, "Be close to Liam on moments like these. I want to be able to help him and be there for him, because I know what it feels like to be in this hospital and feel completely alone and afraid". He's a good guy, had a brother like him. Probably why I was so willing to help him out."

"Like I wasn't feeling like an ass already.." Liam mumbled, making the doctor pat his back gently.

"Despite what you said to him, he still cares."

"How are you so sure?" Liam asked turning to look at the doctor.

Dr.Fray chuckled softly before responding, "Because he asked me to please call him whenever I felt like you might need someone to show you support or when you might not be okay at all and that he will take the first plane out here to make sure he's by your side."

Liam looked out the window again, just as he saw his friends and husband hop into a cab, and drive away.

"How much time do you think it will take me to be okay to leave this place and be on my own?" Liam asked not turning away from the window, watching as the cab drove away and was out of sight.

"Well, if you really commit to it and really do want to leave as soon as possible. I'd say about four months, five tops. Of course, that's only if you leave this place with at least two doctors you will regularly go see once you're home, to continue your process of rehabilitation."

"I'm ready"

"For what?"

"To get my life back on track and show my husband that I'm as strong as he believes that I am. And prove to myself that I can get better and not just believe that I'll always be as miserable as I am right now."

"Glad to hear that. Well, Liam, let's get started."

Liam nodded, looked out the window once more before following Dr.Fray to what would be his room for the next week, then prepare himself for everything to come once the week was over.

 


	16. Chapter Sixteen

"So? Did he open the door?" Eleanor asked as soon as Louis walked into the kitchen.

He shook his head, making everyone, Eleanor, Harry, Niall and Chris sigh.

"He hasn't left his room in six days, that's not okay."

"It was your fault, along with Harry's for letting him have time alone once you arrived from the airport. You two should have known better than to leave him alone when he needs us the most" Louis stated as he leaned against the counter.

"Excuse me? But after being told by my husband that I'm to blame for all the wrong going on in his life, I wouldn't want to be around anyone out of pure shame and embarrassment" Harry argued, crossing his arms over his chest looking over at Louis.

"Right, sorry." Louis said sighing softly.

"Harry, Louis would never say anything like that to you no matter how much he's hurting. He'd blame himself instead of you." Niall added looking over at the two.

"Well, yeah, that's the kind of husband he is."

"Are you all trying to say Liam is a horrible husband?" Chris asked, looking at the three of them.

"No! We're just saying that Harry and Louis wouldn't understand what Liam and Zayn are going through because they're different from them" Niall quickly explained.

"Anyway, we need him to leave his room. It's not good for him, because are we just going to ignore the fact that he hasn't eaten therefore hasn't been taking his medication?" Eleanor said, looking at the guys, who all came to realize that she was right.

"Okay that's it, I'm kicking the door down." Niall said getting off the bar stool and making his way out of the kitchen.

"He's not really going to do that is he?" Harry asked, Louis shrugging in response.

A minute later, they heard him kicking the door followed by wood breaking. The others quickly ran to Zayn's room, stopping once they saw Niall standing in the hallway staring into the room.

"Niall? What's wrong?" Eleanor asked as she approached him, looking into the bedroom.

"Dude, didn't think you had it in you to break down a door" Louis laughed but stopped once he reached them and looked into the bedroom as well.

"What the hell?" Chris walked past them into the room.

The room was completely trashed. There was things all over the floor, the bed was out of place, pillows and blankets on the floor, and the window had been broken. Pieces of glass all around the floor by the windows, the wind blowing in, the curtains moving with it.

Worst of all, Zayn was no where in sight.

"What the hell happened in here?" Eleanor whispered as she walked in, careful not to step on anything.

"Better question is, where's Zayn?" Harry asked, Louis quickly making his way into the bedroom bathroom. He opened the door, but Zayn wasn't in there, but it was also a complete mess. The medicine cabinet had been emptied, everything on the floor as well.

"He's not in here" Louis said slowly making his way back i got the room.

"Do you guys realize this didn't happen today, right? We've all been here and didn't hear a single thing." Eleanor said, becoming much more worried than she already was.

"Which means, Zayn probably hasn't been here the last few days..." Chris saying, what they were all fearing.

"Uh, guys.. I don't mean to making things much worse than they already are but there's blood by the window." Niall said carefully picking up one of the shards with blood on it.

"How could this have happened? We've been here everyday, we've all taken turns staying here during the night." Eleanor said looking at the guys.

"I didn't hear anything the two nights that I stayed, hell I would even walk around the house to try to stay awake the entire night and the window was fine those nights" Chris responded, looking over at Niall.

"I didn't hear anything either, I sat out in the hall by the door all night. You know, in hopes he'd walk out during the night to get something to eat or drink." Niall added, nodding his head.

"Well neither did I, you guys know nothing gets past me and I was here a night before Chris and he says the windows were fine when he was here." Eleanor said, turning to look at Harry and Louis.

"I was here the first night, which means it didn't happen when I stayed over." Harry said, making them all turn to look at Louis.

"Louis? Please tell me you heard something last night?" Eleanor asked, making Louis bite down on his lip.

"I didn't hear anything last night." He said, making every one sigh, but then he continued. "But that's because Harry and I had been arguing through text messages and it was getting pretty stupid so I called him and because I didn't want my possible yelling to wake Zayn up I walked out of the house and walked around the block while I was on the phone with Harry.."

"What?! You left the house to argue with Harry? Seriously?" Eleanor asked, becoming upset at the fact that Louis had left Zayn alone.

"I didn't think anything bad would happen! He hadn't come out of his room in almost a week, I didn't think me stepping out for a few minutes would change anything!" Louis said defensively.

"How long were you gone Louis?" Niall asked, Louis becoming very nervous so he turned to Harry, who looked just as nervous as Louis.

"We were on the phone for over an hour.." Harry admitted, making Eleanor scream and walk over to Louis to slap him.

"Eleanor!" Harry yelled as Louis placed his hand over his cheek.

"How could you leave him alone for over an hour?! This means that whatever happened in this room and to Zayn happened while you were out!"

Louis was honestly ashamed and extremely sorry, he didn't think leaving the house would put Zayn in any type of danger. Now, his bedroom was a mess, Zayn was missing, Eleanor was pissed and they had no idea what to do.

"Okay, we need to all calm down, and probably what we should have done the minute we walked into this room was call the police" Chris said, pulling Eleanor slowly away from Louis.

"Chris is right, come on Eleanor, you need to calm down more than anyone." Niall said, guiding Eleanor to the hallway.

"Don't you dare tell me to calm down, Niall! Because out of everyone in this room I've been the only one to truly care for and worry about Zayn and Liam, for that matter, for the last five years!" She yelled pulling away from him.

"Eleanor.." Harry started but was cut off by her.

"Don't you Eleanor me! You and your husband here have been living your lives to the fullest, as happy as can be without a care in the world, not once stopping to ask yourselves whether or not your so called best friends have been doing okay since they went through such traumatic experiences! Always rubbing it in how great your life has been since high school while Zayn and Liam were hanging by a thread and you didn't care to notice!"

"El, enough" Niall said sternly, but when it came to a pissed off Eleanor, that was the worst thing to do.

"Oh don't get me started on you! You and Chris over here, have been too preoccupied with traveling to and from Ireland to even think about how Zayn and Liam were doing! Not only that, but you actually helped Liam bribe his therapist into making Zayn believe he always went to his sessions when he didn't attend! Not even once! Who the hell does that?!You're to blame here too! And Chris, you actually left with Zayn to the states to try to see someone in that damn hospital, someone he didn't need to see. Not only that, but you lost him at the airport and was a way for him to get you on a plane while he stayed behind to admit himself into a hospital he didn't need to be in!"

The four of them stood quiet as Eleanor yelled at them, not wanting to upset her more than she already was.

"I have spent the last five years trying to get those two to admit that they weren't doing okay, yes I admit that I never told Liam what Zayn was really up to when he would say he was with me, but Zayn was never doing anything bad! All he was doing was going to the park to write in a journal all his thoughts and feelings and he just didn't want anyone to know because he knew at someone point someone would ruin his time alone with wanting to tag along! I'm not better than any of you, but at least I showed that I cared and worried for them!" By then, she was crying, sobbing really, it broke her heart to know that she probably could have done something, anything, to help out Liam and Zayn but she never did.

"I'm not going to stand here and tell you all what you could have done to help prevent all of this any longer. Zayn's missing and my priority right now is to find him and make sure he's alright. I at least owe both Liam and him that much." She said wiping away her tears and leaving the room, cellphone in hand dialing the police.

They all just looked at each other, they understood that Eleanor was upset but she was also right, not once did they actually stop to think about Zayn and Liam because they didn't think they needed to. They needed to do something if they wanted to help Eleanor make sure Zayn was okay.

Some place else, far from the house, Zayn was waking up from being unconscious for almost 24 hours. He opened his eyes and scanned around the room, his vision blurry. It was dark and cold and he really couldn't make up where he was. He tried moving but, he was tied up to a wooden post.

He winced when he tried to move again, only then noticing there was a cut on his thigh, looked as though it was still fresh and bleeding.

"What the hell happened?" He whispered to himself, his head was pounding and he felt incredibly weak.

"Well look who finally decided to wake up. About time." Zayn looked around the room to see who had spoken, and then he spotted him. In the corner of the room, his arms crossed over his chest, and his eyes focused on Zayn.

"Chris? What's going on?" He asked, having a bit of a hard time keeping his eyes focused.

"Chris? Who the hell is Chris? Did you forget about me so soon, Zayn?"

"What are you talking about?" Zayn said wincing slightly as he tried moving again.

"Breaks my heart, but what can I expect from someone who I a haven't seen in over five years."

"What?" Zayn looked up and was face to face with him.

"It's Ethan, remember me?" He chuckled softly, watching Zayn shaking his head confused.

"Ethan? What? No, you're Chris, my best friend." Zayn said as he looked at the person in front of him.

"Nope, wrong person. Can't believe you don't remember me, unless you do and are acting dumb"

"Leave him alone will you? It's bad enough you're back, don't you think torturing him like that while he's confused and dazed is too much?" Zayn heard someone else speak up, except the voice was all too familiar to him.

"No.." He whispered, followed by a chuckle from someone who wasn't him.

"Bingo! Don't worry, Zayn. We promise not to go anywhere this time."

Zayn looked up, and in front of him were Ethan and an 18 year old Liam.

"This can't be happening.."

"Hate to break it to you, but this tends to happen when you don't take your medication like you're told to do." Ethan shrugged. "It was bound to happen, and you know it."

"Ethan will you stop? Last time we were both here you actually cared for him, don't be dick." Liam said, making Zayn want to cry.

"Yeah, five years ago. He's kept us away ever since, I don't know about you but that hurt my feelings." Ethan replied looking away from Zayn to look at Liam. "He's gotten old hasn't he? Doesn't look like the young Zayn we met. Guess life hasn't been that great to him after all."

"Go away, please just go away." Zayn cried out, making Ethan and Liam look at him, sympathetically.

"I was just messing with you, Zayn. Didn't mean to hurt you, or make you feel bad." Ethan said, earning a glare from Liam.

"A little to late now, don't you think you asshole?"

"Hey, I was just joking I didn't think he'd cry. It seems like forever I just wanted to make sure he hadn't forgotten about us."

"Next time, just be nice will you?" Liam said rolling his eyes.

A door seemed to open and close behind Zayn, Ethan and Liam both looking up to it then at each other before stepping back a bit.

"Please just go away, I don't want this, not again. I'm better off without all of these stupid hallucinations and anything that comes along with this stupid condition" Zayn sobbed, wanting nothing more than to be at home. He didn't know where he was and to be honest, he was terrified.

"Looks like you're still a nut case, haven't changed much since the last time I saw you."

Zayn froze, he knew that voice and he was terrified to think that it wasn't another hallucination.

"No, Zayn. You're not hallucinating me. I'm here. In the flesh."

"Where am I?" Zayn said choking out a sob.

"Someplace where no one will find you"

"Why?" Zayn asked not wanting to turn in the direction that the voice was coming from.

"Did you honestly believe I wouldn't try to get some kind of revenge for what you did to me?"

Zayn didn't say a word, he just stared at the floor, hoping more than anything it was just a nightmare he would soon wake up from.

"Ir sucks, doesn't it? Finally having something normal again and then having it ripped away so easily. But I guess that's what happens when your medication isn't in your system. You start hallucinating again, soon enough you'll start to feel disoriented, possibly feel angry, and then just explode. You know, with every single possible symptom related to, what was it again? Oh right, Paranoid Schizophrenia. Lucky for you, I'm a doctor and will help you through it." He chuckled before getting down to be Zayn's eye level, holding Zayn's chin up so he would look at him.

"Well, not really a doctor, more like a nurse. Of course, sadly for you, I know longer have a license to practice, but don't worry, no one will know."

Zayn gulped before screaming out in pain as he squeezed Zayn's thight right where the cut was, even going to the extreme of digging his thumb into the wound.

"Better get that checked out, wouldn't want it to get infected." He smirked pulling away and making his way towards the door, leaving Zayn crying in pain.

"Tell your friends they can't help you, they aren't real" He said before chuckling and walking out of the room leaving Zayn to himself. Sort of.

"Man, and I thought I was scary." Ethan said earning a glare from Liam. They watched as Zayn cried, not really being able to do anything to help him.

"Who left that psycho out of jail to begin with?" Ethan asked, looking over at Liam who bit his lip nervously.

"I don't know but let's hope someone soon realizes Zayn's missing and does everything they can to help him." Liam whispered, watching Zayn cry to the point of passing out.

"He's weak, Liam. I fear that no matter how fast they try to look for him and save him, he probably won't last." Ethan added looking at a broken Zayn tied up in front of him.

"Don't say that, he's so much stronger than that and you know it!"

"Liam, the truth of the matter is, Zayn hasn't been eating the past few days, he hasn't been taking his medication either or else we wouldn't even be here to begin with, not just that, he's wounded and has been since last night. It's bound to get infected and cause serious damage, now more that the idiot digged his disgusting finger in it. I'm sorry to say it, but Zayn won't last long. He's lucky if he last more than another day." Ethan said, Liam looking heartbroken.

"I know.. I just wish it didn't have to be that way."

"Let's just hope the real you, you know, the older better looking and not a hallucination you, realizes Zayn's missing and comes looking for him."

"I hope so too."

"Do you think he can hear us?" Ethan asked as he got closer to Zayn to make sure he was breathing.

"You do realize we don't exactly exist right? And all of this is all in his head." Liam said looking at Ethan curiously.

"Yeah, I know. I was just wondering if he could still hear us even when being unconscious."

"Probably, I don't know."

"I can definitely hear you, and I'm not unconscious" Zayn whispered.

"Hell you could have fooled me. I saw you pass out a few minutes ago." Ethan said staring at Zayn.

"I'm sorry.."

"Why are you apologizing, Zayn?" Liam asked, confused.

"I know I won't make it out alive from this one, which means that if I die, you do too.."

Liam and Ethan looked at each other before turning to Zayn, "We can't die if we don't even exist."

Zayn opened his eyes and looked up, then around the room but he was alone. No one was there with him, he knew it too, he just wished he wasn't there to begin with.

"I just want to go home.." Zayn cried out, his voice echoing softly off the walls of the big empty room.

 


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not entirely sure if a trigger warning is necessary but it’s just in case, I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. ♥️

Zayn woke up gasping for air, after freezing cold water had been thrown on his face. "Listen, Zayn. As much as I hate saying this, I kinda need you alive. And for that, I'm gonna have to treat that nasty infection starting in your thigh."

Zayn looked down at his thigh, tried moving it but the pain was unbearable since the wound hadn't been treated at all it was now infected and would only get worse.

"Don't you worry, I'm not gonna cut off your leg or anything" Tyler chuckled as he looked at Zayn, "I'm not that crazy"

"Yeah right" Ethan muttered, Zayn glancing glanced to his right.

Tyler followed his gaze and smirked, "Who's talking Zayn?"

Zayn turned to face him but said nothing, simply stared at him until Tyler got tired of looking at him and walked towards a table on the other side of the room.

Zayn's mouth was dry, he hadn't eaten or had anything to drink and he felt incredibly weak, the wound wasn't helping either.

"You- you never told me why you did what you did" Zayn whispered as he closed his eyes and laid his head back against the post.

"Ah yes, actually you would know the reason if you had been at my trial five years ago, but because you refused to be at attendance I guess I'll have to tell you now" Tyler walked back with a syringe in his hand, crouching down to be at Zayn's eye level once he was in front of him.

"You didn't deserve to leave so soon" He began as he leaned over and stuck the needle near Zayn's wound making him wince, "You weren't there for even six months, and you were being released with flying colors. And I didn't think that was fair at all, there were patients there that had been there for years and weren't going to be released any time soon. I just wanted you to stay longer so you knew what it truly felt to be alone in a hospital with no one who cared or loved you"

He finished giving Zayn the dose of what Zayn could only imagine was either an anesthetic or an antibiotic, and got up to walk back to the table.

"From the second I saw you, I knew you were the type of person to always get what you wanted, to have always had a happy and fullfilling life, and I didn't really like you for it. I made it my mission to make sure you stayed there as long as possible."

Zayn opened his eyes and noticed Ethan and Liam staring at him then over at Tyler, "Of course I ever imagined you would get released so soon. If I had known, I would have started giving you the wrong medication from the beginning instead of your last day."

Ethan turned to look at Zayn, who mouthed out a 'help me', but what could he do? He didn't exist.

"And the thing is, it would have worked fine. You know if it hadn't been for that rat of a little girl that witnessed everything." Tyler walked back over to Zayn, once again crouching down to his eye level.

"You deserved to be miserable there, I'm pretty sure your entire life you've gotten nothing but happiness and being let go that easily, well, that just wasn't fair for the rest of the patients."

"You had no right to do that to me" Zayn said just above a whisper, Tyler rolling his eyes.

"Yeah well, you got away with it at the end. Which is why we're here today." Tyler shrugged, "There's so much more you probably want to know, but I'll have to tell you the rest after your little surgery here"

Tyler placed a breathing mask over Zayn's nose and mouth, one that Zayn hadn't realized he had. Before he could react in the slightest, Zayn fell into a deep sleep.

"Sleep tight, Zayn"

"Liam? Hey" Liam shook his head and looked up, Noah was standing in front of him, frowning at him.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

Noah rolled his eyes and sat next to Liam, "I said, how are you feeling today"

"Oh. I'm doing okay, except I can't help it but I have this strange feeling something isn't right"

Noah looked at him confused, "What do you mean? Like health wise or?"

"No, no. Like, something isn't okay, not with me though, it's like I have a feeling something bad happened but I don't know what"

"You mean with Zayn?"

Liam kept quiet, to be honest, he hadn't related the strange feeling with Zayn, it hadn't crossed his mind that maybe something had happened to Zayn and that's why he felt as though something was wrong.

"I- I don't know.."

"I'm sure he's fine, Liam. You're probably just uneasy with the whole trying to get better quickly thing. I would be too if I were you, but I've been here for five years, which is something you're trying to cramp up into like five months or so"

"You're probably right, I just, really want to leave this place, you know?" Liam said turning to look at Noah, who chuckled.

"Yes Liam, I know. I've been wanting to leave since I got here."

"Right, sorry." He sighed, "I forget you've been here awhile."

"It's okay, I used to hate it here at first, even though I really needed the help, but after awhile I got used to it, it became like a home to me since I'm cared for and helped in every way possible to be okay to be on my own again"

"Well if it isn't dumb and dumber" They turned around to see Damien walking towards them, Noah rolled his eyes and looked away.

"What do you want Damien?" Liam asked not really in the mood to deal with him.

"You mean, other than your husband?" Damien laughed, watching as Liam shook his head and looked away.

"After what happened, I don't think he'd want you, and I have to be there to mend his broken heart"

"Will you shut the fuck up?" Noah said turning to look at Damien, "Do you not get that you're not wanted here and we don't want to deal with you and anything you have to say?"

"I'd watch my tone if I were you, wouldn't want the big bad men coming and dragging you off to dismember you like they did those kids now do we?"

Liam stood up quickly and got face to face with Damien, "What did you just say?"

"What? You thought it wasn't going to get around what happened to those poor kids because of you two?" Damien said, smirking at Liam and glancing over at Noah.

Noah looked away, with tear filled eyes, basically satisfying Damien.

"First off all, those kids had names. Fernie, Vic and TJ. Second, we weren't the ones who hurt them and took away their lives, we were just in much danger as they were. I escaped to try to get help for them and Noah fought as much as he could to try to save them." Liam began, his voice low and angry.

Damien rolled his eyes and looked away, seeming bored, "And lastly, why don't you call up that girlfriend of yours? I'm sure she'd love to put you in your place like all those times before. I'm sure she misses that."

Damien quickly turned to Liam, eyes wide. "What? You thought it wasn't going to get around what happened between you and your girlfriend?"

"Weren't much of a man back then, huh?"

Noah looked at the two, Liam looked completely satisfied with himself while Damien looked like he could break down crying any second.

"You wouldn't know what's it like to be in a toxic and abusive relationship. You will never understand what I went through, and what I constantly have to live with because of it. You've been with the same person for practically ten years and he's been nothing but good to you." Damien spoke out after a minute of silence, his voice cracking every few words. "From what I've learned he's the best thing that's ever happened to you but you're too stupid to even realize that. He waited for you while you were missing and did everything in his power to try to keep it together. He ended up here because of how broken he was with you gone. And after the past few years, he was willing to be here once again just to be close to you, and you were too blind to see he was only being a good husband! Because instead you saw him as a burden!"

Liam stared at Damien not knowing what to say because he was caught off guard.

"So excuse me for wanting someone like your husband, or your husband in general, but I've never known what it's like to have someone who loves you as much as Zayn loves you. Zayn was nothing but good to everyone here, including me even though he didn't like me much, I could tell. So yes, I wanted to try to make him mine but deep down I knew it would never happened because he only has eyes for you. And yet, you drove him off. Maybe I don't deserve someone like Zayn in my life, but at this point, neither do you."

Damien walked away, leaving Liam speechless. He looked over at Noah who was staring at him already.

"I'm happy you stood up for yourself and thankful you stood up for me, but that was a low blow, Liam." Noah stood up and looked at him disappointed, "Never use someone's mental, physical or emotional problems against them. Especially when they're trying to get away from them." He sighed and turned around to walk away.

Liam sat back down, placing his hands over his face and resting his elbows on this knees. Noah had every right to feel disappointed in him, because in that moment Liam was disappointed in himself too.

When Zayn woke up, the room was much darker than it was the first time he had woken up that day, or rather when he got woken up by water that he could only imagine came from the artic.

"You're awake." Zayn looked around but he couldn't see anyone. Then he noticed something.

He was no longer tied to the post.

"I'm not that heartless, you know." Zayn squinted his eyes to try to see in the dark, since his eyes were still adjusting.

Tyler walked over from the corner of the room, hands folded over his chest. "Could've fooled me." Zayn whispered once he was close enough.

"The only reason I untied you was because you're too weak to fight back or even try to hurt me. Plus, you wouldn't be able to stand up after the surgery I performed."

"You cut off my leg?!" Zayn tried yelling, but it came out as more of a croak due to his mouth and throat being so dry.

"Of course not, you imbecile." Tyler said rolling his eyes, "I cleaned up your wound, injected antibiotics in it and then stitched it up. Standing up or even trying to walk would hurt like hell since it went untreated for so long."

"Oh." Zayn said looking down at his bandaged leg then back at Tyler. "I don't know whether to say thanks or not, since you're the reason I got it in the first place."

"If you had just listened to me and not try to fight me as we went out the window you wouldn't have gotten the wound." Tyler said before crouching down next to Zayn and placing Zayn's left arm over his shoulder and placing his right arm around Zayn's waist.

"Now for the love of god, help me, I'm not going to do all the work myself."

Zayn stared at Tyler as he helped Zayn up, Zayn pushing himself up as best as he could while holding on him.

"Don't make me regret this" Tyler simply said as he helped Zayn out of the room, and down a hallway. Zayn wincing every other step trying his hardest not to step to much with his left leg. Tyler held him up and despite what he said, he basically was doing all the work.

They made into what Zayn assumed was meant to be a dining room but it was just a small squared table with two chairs on opposite ends. Tyler helped Zayn sit in one of them before walking into another room.

Zayn looked around the room, but it was extremely simple. No pictures, decorations, and it seemed as though it's been unoccupied for years. It was more of a cabin really.

Tyler walked back in, with a plate and glass in hand, placing them both in front of Zayn, who looked at him confused.

"Like I said, I need you alive and that can't happen if you're practically starving to death. So eat up."

Zayn didn't say anything, he looked down at the plate in front of him and it was a simple turkey and cheese sandwich and a glass of what looked like orange juice.

"I know you don't eat pork, so giving you ham would just be rude." Tyler said as he stared at Zayn.

"Oh but kidnapping me and having me hostage isn't?" Zayn said earning a sigh from Tyler.

"Shut up and eat." Tyler walked away and into another room, in the opposite side of where Zayn guesses the kitchen was.

As much as he hated not wanting to eat anything Tyler had to offer him, it'd been days since he last ate and really, he was starving.

He took his time, taking small bites and chewing slowly to not make himself feel sick for eating too fast.

"Tyler? You said you'd tell me the rest after the surgery." Zayn spoke out, not turning around to check if Tyler had heard him or was nearby.

"Tell me this, Zayn. Did little miss Ruby also see your hallucinations?" Tyler sounded clear yet distant.

"I thought she did but when I went to go see her about the letter I received that supposedly came from her she said she couldn't explain it and that she didn't remember whether or not she truly did see hallucinations" Zayn explained, trailing off at the end.

Tyler didn't replied, leaving Zayn deep in thought.

"You sent that letter." Zayn stated turning around to look at the doorway waiting for Tyler to appear.

A minute later, Tyler appeared and leaned against the doorway looking over at Zayn.

"I did."

"Why?" Zayn frowned, he needed answers and he truly hoped Tyler would give them to him.

Tyler walked over and sat on the other chair, Zayn turning to face him.

"I already told you why I did what I did while in the hospital. Then, once I was sentenced to four years in jail, I decided that trying to get any type of revenge on you was stupid." He stopped to look at Zayn for a few seconds before continuing, "A couple months later, I got a letter from my mother. She was incredibly disappointed in me and what I had done, and swore to never speak to me again, which is why the letter was a huge surprise."

Zayn listened to him, not wanting to interrupt, Tyler was being so open about everything there was no way he was going to ruin it.

"The letter said that my little brother had been found." Tyler stated leaning back against the chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "My little brother's body had been found to be exact."

"My little brother had been kidnapped during a vacation my parents and him took. The kid had always been full of life, one of the happiest kids you'd ever meet. My parents world came crumbling down when my brother was taken from them. They did everything they possibly could to try and find my brother. Constantly checking with the authorities to see if they had any type of lead."

Tyler looked away, seemed as though he was going to cry but held it together. "My brother was found almost seven months after he was kidnapped. His body dismembered in a ditch. Reading that in a letter sent to me in jail was the worst thing in the world. I never got to see my little brother again."

Zayn looked away from him, down to the table. He couldn't help but feel sorry for Tyler but he didn't know what that had anything to do with him.

"Once I go out, I made it my life's goal to find whoever was responsible for it. I couldn't ask my parents because they disowned me, and there was no way they were going to tell me. So I did my research, because apparently that case wasn't exactly public records. I came to find out that along with my little brother, two other boys had been killed as well. And who knows how many more before that, but I also found out that two people had survived."

Realization dawned on Zayn and he turned to look at Tyler, scared and worried. "Ah, catching up are we? Those two survivors were a 14 year old boy named Noah, and an 18 year old named Liam. From what I was able to gather, Noah said that they began killing the kids when they discovered Liam had escaped and they refused to tell them where he went. As punishment and encouragement they began killing them one by one, in hopes of them finally reveling where Liam had gone."

"Noah said he fought as much as he could to keep those kids safe, offering himself as sacrifice instead all three times but was ignored because they knew taking the others would only hurt Noah and possibly make him cooperate. My brother was the last one they took, using him for his intended purpose, before the police were finally able to catch them and send them to prison for everything they did."

"Fernie.." Zayn whispered with tears in his eyes.

Tyler looked at him, heartbroken and angry at the same time. "Fernie. My little brother."

"Tyler.. I'm-"

"If Liam hadn't escaped my brother would still be alive. I then researched a Liam Payne." He laughed coldly, "And what was my surprise? He was your husband. It was as if life was giving me a second chance to ruin your life. Despite making the decision to not try anything against you, I wasn't going to let my brother's death go unpunished."

Zayn was crying, shaking his head as Tyler continued talking, "I sent you that letter in hopes of driving you away from your home to go in and take your husband. I wanted to avenge my brother's death by taking your husband life as well. But you didn't leave, you stayed and you seemed fine. Until, one day, you both left. Vanished."

Zayn looked at Tyler, tears running down his face, there was no emotion on Tyler's face. Nothing.

"I befriended that cute brunette friend of yours, do you know she doesn't know how to keep a secret? Or talk normally for that matter? Always yelling into her phone while taking a call. I learned from her that both you and your husband where back in the states. I was pretty surprised she didn't know who I was, a little clueless that one. So I waited, and soon enough, you were back, without your husband. My initial plan wasn't to take you, but it was better than my first plan."

Tyler stood up and moved to stand behind Zayn, leaning down so he could speak directly into Zayn's ear. "I wanted your husband to suffer and have the same fate my brother did, but then it occurred to me. There was another way to make him suffer and make it worth my wild, having him spend a life time without the love of his life was just too perfect. Which is why I took you instead."

Zayn took a deep shaky breath before turning to look at Tyler, who smirked at him. "And now you know everything, Zayn. Any questions?"

"What are you going to do to me? You said you needed me alive.."

"I do, for now. I'm going to give you the same fate my brother received. I'm going to keep you captive, and then one day, a completely random day, I'm going to take you out into the woods, and dismember you. Then leave your body in a ditch for anyone to find. Simple."

"Then what? Once I'm dead what are you going to do?"

"Nothing. Your husband will be heartbroken for the rest of his life the same way I am about losing my brother. Suffering in silence and wishing he could turn back time and change the past. You'll be dead, he'll be dead inside and I'll go on living my life as if nothing ever happened, satisfied that I was able to do something about losing Fernie."

"Liam only wanted to save them! He cared for those kids, including Fernie! He wouldn't have escaped if he thought they would be harmed in any way!" Zayn cried out, choking on a sob.

"Fernie was only 11! He was a child! And Liam left them all there to die!" Tyler screamed, finally crying. "Fernie had so much to live for and such a bright future ahead of him but thanks to Liam that never happened and never will!"

"Don't do this... Fernie wouldn't want you to do this" Zayn cried out, making Tyler punch him in the jaw.

"You didn't know Fernie. Don't talk as if you knew him or know what he would have or wouldn't have wanted. Your days are numbered, Zayn. Deal with it."

Tyler walked away, leaving Zayn crying and holding his jaw. He couldn't believe that he was going to die and over something neither Zayn or Liam had any control over. They were paying for something they didn't do, and the worst part was that Liam would have to live with the guilt of not only leaving the kids behind, resulting in their deaths but also the guilt of Zayn's death. Zayn couldn't let that happen, but what could he do?

He was a dead man.

 


	18. Chapter Eighteen

“Got any ones?" Zayn asked as he looked down at the cards in his hands, waiting for a reply.

"Nope, sorry" Ethan replied looking up from his cards to look at Zayn.

"How many times do I have to tell you, it's 'go fish' not 'nope, sorry'?" Liam said turning to look at Ethan, who only rolled his eyes and gave him a fake smile.

"No, Zayn. Go fish" He said keeping the fake smile on his face, annoying Liam.

Liam squinted his eyes at him before shaking his head, Zayn laughed at them both before nudging Liam on the knee. "Your turn."

"Got any nines?" Liam asked looking at Zayn, who looked down at his cards, making a face and handed Liam the nine he had.

Liam grinned taking it from him and taking his own to place them down on the floor next to him. "You're such a child" Ethan said, watching Liam.

"Zayn, tell Ethan to stop bugging me"

"Oh sure, tell on me why don't you"

"I will tell on you, because you don't know how to play and even if you did you're always a sore loser" Liam said pointing his finger at Ethan as he spoke.

"Excuse me, but we've been playing this game for the last five months, you can't say I don't know how to play" Ethan said, sounding slightly offended.

"Please, you always forget to say 'go fish', which by the way is the name of the game"

"What? It's not called 'give me it'?" Ethan asked looking at Liam, fake shocked.

"Don't be a smartass. Zayn, Ethan is being a smartass" Liam said turning to look at Zayn who for the most part was ignoring them, going through his cards.

"Why do you always have to tell on me? To Zayn especially?" Ethan asked setting his cards faced down on the floor.

"Because he's the oldest and you're annoying"

Zayn looked up at the two, frowning slightly as they went back and forth.

"How do you know I'm not the oldest?" Ethan asked raising an eyebrow curiously.

"Because Zayn is the one with the beard and aged 24, you've looked the exact same way since the last time I saw you and that was five years ago."

"Yeah, well look who's talking, when are you gonna go through puberty bud?"

"25"

Liam and Ethan both stopped talking and turned to look at Zayn who wasn't looking at them, but once again looking at his cards.

Ethan lifted his cards and examined each one, frowning at the end. "I thought the highest number was 10, not 25. What game are we playing then?"

Liam closed his eyes and took a deep breath, holding back the need to hit Ethan in the head. "He means, he's 25, you fucking idiot"

Ethan gasped, placing his hand over Liam's mouth, "Watch your fucking language, god damn it. You're too fucking young to be speaking like that."

Zayn set his cards down and stared at them both, "You know, I really wish I had my medication right now because you two are honestly incredibly annoying right now."

Liam and Ethan turned to look at Zayn at the same time, who rolled his eyes and got up from the floor. "I'm gonna go clean up the kitchen before Tyler comes home" With that he walked out of the room, leaving Liam and Ethan behind.

"Home. Did he really just call this hell hole his home?" Ethan asked pulling his hand away from Liam's mouth.

"It looks like the thing we feared the most, is actually happening. He's getting used to this place."

"Stockholm Syndrome" Ethan said with a nod, Liam bit his bottom lip, refusing to believe Zayn has stockholm syndrome.

As Zayn entered the kitchen, Ethan was sitting on the counter playing with an orange, throwing it up in the air as if it was a ball. Liam was shaking his head at him from the other end of the counter, except he was leaning against it not sitting on it.

"So, 25 then?" Ethan asked as Zayn approached the sink where the dirty dishes were. Zayn nodded but didn't say a word.

"How could we have forgotten your birthday?" Liam said, sounding disappointed.

"It was two months ago, I didn't say anything because there's really nothing to celebrate" Zayn shrugged as he filled up one of the sinks with warm water, pouring dish soap into it.

No one said a thing anymore so Zayn simply began washing the dishes. He looked around after a few minutes, Ethan and Liam had left.

He sighed and continued washing the dishes, didn't want to waste any time, since he still had to clean the bathroom afterwards. "Isn't this the life." He whispered to himself, sighing softly.

As Zayn was finishing up the bathroom, an hour later, he heard the front door unlock, open then close a few seconds later.

"Honey, I'm home!" Tyler yelled, Zayn put away the cleaning supplies he had used before walking out of the bathroom.

Tyler walked down the hallway, stopping outside of the room Zayn has been in, seeing the cards on the floor. He looked over at Zayn at the end of the hall, before walking towards him.

"Playing with yourself again?" He snorted, earning an eye roll from Zayn. Tyler patted his cheek a few times, "I wouldn't roll my eyes if I were you, you do remember I'm the one that determines your fate right?"

After Tyler said that, Zayn sighed before smiling at him, a fake smile of course, but it made no difference to Tyler.

"That's much better." He said before walking away.

Zayn walked to his room, to pick up and put away the cards he had left on the floor. Once he picked up the cards Ethan had, he noticed a one in them. "Fucking Ethan, you did have a one"

"Fucking language, seriously" Ethan said from the mattress on the floor at the other end of the room. "Tell psycho you need a new mattress, or an actual bed for that matter"

"No I don't, I'm okay with that one." Zayn replied as he put the cards away in the shoe box by the door.

"Okay with what?" Tyler asked from the doorway, startling Zayn.

"Oh, uh, Ethan said I should tell you I need a new mattress or an actual bed instead. But that one is fine." Zayn said shrugging his shoulders.

Tyler looked over at the mattress, deep in thought. "Tell Ethan to mind his own business."

"Oh fuck you" Ethan said as he stood in front of Tyler, 'punching' him in the jaw, but of course simply going through him like a ghost.

Zayn watched, trying not to laugh at Ethan, who groaned and stomped away upset since he couldn't really hurt Tyler.

Tyler turned to look at Zayn, curiously, Zayn only smiled slightly at him before Tyler walked away. Zayn sighed and looked over at the mattress, before following Tyler out.

"Where did you go?" Zayn asked sitting down on the floor by the wall, while Tyler sat on the small old couch in the living room.

"Went looking for a ditch." Tyler smirked looking over at Zayn, who held his knees close to his chest.

"Did you find one?" He asked nervously, watching as Tyler shook his head.

"Not one that was good enough." Tyler said before turning on the television and flipping through the channels.

"Why do I get the feeling Tyler doesn't exactly want to kill him anymore?" Liam whispered to Ethan, Zayn glanced over at them before turning to the television.

"I swear if these two developed feelings for each other. I'll kill myself and have you throw me in a ditch instead." Ethan replied, earning a glare from Liam.

"Don't be stupid and insensitive."

Zayn knew he didn't have feelings for Tyler, he knew what Tyler was capable of and Zayn being as weak as he was, wasn't going to try to get away or hurt Tyler in any way.

He wasn't stupid, of course he wasn't going to develop feelings for the psychopath keeping him hostage, it was all a game, pretend to have feelings for him and pretend to care for him so that he ends up caring for Zayn in return so that in the end he won't be able to bring himself to kill Zayn.

Liam and Ethan didn't need to know that though, they needed to believe it just as much as Tyler did.

Zayn just hoped that while he was there fearing for his life every single day, Liam was doing so much better than he was.

"How does it feel knowing you're going to be a free man very soon?" Noah asked, chuckling as Liam rolled his eyes.

"You make it sound like I've been in prison for decades." Liam replied, watching as Noah smiled at him.

"Can't blame me, it felt that way to me."

Liam nodded and took it all in. He was sitting with Noah in the visiting area. He was to go home very soon and he just couldn't be patient enough. He wanted to leave, wanted to get home, to see his friends, his family. Wanted to see his Zayn. His.

"Liam, it's only a little while longer. It'll go by quickly, you'll be out of here before you know it." Noah chuckled as he noticed Liam shaking his leg impatiently.

"I know, but god, the past five months went by in a flash and the last hours of my time here seem to drag on." He said, chuckling along with Noah.

"I'm guessing you already got cleared by everyone you needed to?" Noah asked, Liam nodding in reply.

"Yeah, well, I just need Dr.Fray's clearance and I'm set."

"Who's coming to pick you up?" Noah asked as he looked over at the clock on the wall.

"Us. They're picking us up, remember. And I'm not sure actually. I called Zayn but he didn't answer, so I called my Harry and he answered. He told me that Zayn hasn't been using his phone the past few months to not get distracted so it's more than likely it hasn't been charged in so long and is off and that's why he didn't answer. So he told me that they'd be here." Liam explained.

"So you don't know if Zayn is coming at all? Or who's coming to begin with?"

"Nope, I'll guess I'll find out when they get here."

"Liam Malik-Payne" He turned around when he heard his name being called, Wes was waiting for him by the door. "Dr.Fray wants to see you"

Liam smiled widely, turned to Noah before getting up. Noah laughed as he got up himself and followed Liam and Wes. Noah stopped by the main entrance, "I'll see you in a bit, Liam."

Liam nodded at him, watching as Noah placed his hands in his jean pockets and walked out of the hospital. He smiled and followed Wes to Dr.Fray's office.

"Liam." Dr.Fray smiled at him, once he entered the office. "Take a seat."

Liam did just that, and waited for Dr.Fray to speak. He examined Liam's file for a few moments before turning to Liam.

"I can honestly say that I'm impressed with your progress. The only other time a patient has left so soon was, well your husband actually. I wasn't here then but all the files are here and no one other than you two have stayed here for less than a year." He said looking back down at Liam's file. "So it says here that you already have a therapist picked out which you will be seeing weekly. As well as two other doctors that will help you out with any medication you may need as well as your overall health."

Liam nodded, "Yes, sir."

"We've followed up with them and confirmed that you already have an appointment set with each one of them. We hope that it isn't a one time thing, and you go see them every time you're scheduled to do so."

"You don't have to worry about that all, I'm going to keep my word this time and do what I have to do." Liam said, earning a nod from Dr.Fray.

"Very well, I'm glad to hear that. Before I sign your release, there's someone that would actually like to say goodbye if that's okay with you."

Liam frowned, who could possibly want to say goodbye to him? Noah had already been released, and he was basically the only person he became friends with.

There was a knock on the door, "Come on in" Dr.Fray said not turning to look at the door.

Liam didn't turn around, just waited for whoever it was to sit down. Once he saw that someone sit down next to him from the corner of his eyes, he turned to them.

Liam opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted, "Before you say anything, please let me speak first."

Liam closed his mouth and waited, "First of all, I want to apologize for everything I ever did that could have hurt you and actually did. I was rude and a bully because I was afraid I'd get hurt again, so in my mind if I hurt those around me before they were able to hurt me, everything would be okay. I was wrong, and I see that now. I've got a long way ahead of me to go back to being the person I was before I was emotionally and mentally abused for years by someone I believed was the love of my life." Damien explained, sounding sincere. He took a deep breath before continuing, "I'm also sorry for thinking I could try to take Zayn from you. Everyone could tell how madly in love that man was of you, and I guess I was jealous because I've never had anyone look at me the way Zayn looked at you."

Liam didn't know what to say, so Damien went on, "I'm glad you were able to progress and work on yourself. I'm happy you're getting out of here and on to live a much happier and healthier life." He smiled at Liam, before turning to Dr.Fray. "Thank you" He got up and made his way towards the door, opening it.

Before he could step out, Liam called out for him, "Damien"

Damien turned to look at Liam, who stood up and walked towards him, "Thank you, and I wish you the best. I know one day soon, you'll be out of here to also live a happy and healthier life."

Damien smiled and nodded once before exiting, Liam turned around to Dr.Fray, who was finishing signing his release form, closing the folder and holding it out to Liam.

"Good luck, Liam."

Liam smiled and took the folder from him, thanked the doctor for everything before stepping out and running towards the front desk to hand his folder to Sarah.

He didn't even wait for Sarah to check the form before running to what was now his former room. In the bed was his clothes, the ones he was wearing when he was admitted along with his shoes. He didn't waste any time, and quickly got changed. Once he was done he made his way back to the front desk, Sarah chuckling at how much Liam truly wanted to go. She gave him a hug and handed him a copy of his file.

"Good luck, and tell Zayn I say hi" Liam smiled and nodded at her.

He walked towards the entrance, stopping to take a deep breath before pushing the door open and stepping outside.

The cold wind hitting his face, making him shiver and regretting not taking a jacket with him when he first arrived months ago.

He looked around and saw Louis, Niall and Noah standing a few feet away. Liam smiled and ran towards them, surprising them with a huge hug. Louis and Niall laughed and hugged him back as Noah watched on.

"God, I've missed you all so much" Liam mumbled before letting go of both of them. "How are you guys?"

"How are we? No, man, how are you?" Louis asked, glancing over at Niall who nodded at Liam.

"Never been better" Liam smiled before looking around, "Only you guys came?"

"Oh yeah, everyone else is back home. Which is probably where we should be heading to now, long flight and all" Niall replies, exchanging glances with Louis.

"Oh. Okay, well yeah I guess we should be going then." Liam placed his arm over Noah's shoulder and started walking towards the cab that was waiting for them.

"You couldn't have just said yes? You had to add in the 'everyone else is at home'? You know very well not everyone else is home." Louis whispered to Niall who elbowed him in the ribs before Liam turned around to look at them.

"Come on!" Niall and Louis sighed before catching up to Noah and Liam, getting into the cab that would take them straight to the airport.

"Did you guys just get here?" Liam asked from the front seat of the cab.

"To the states?" Niall asked looking towards Liam.

Liam nodded, "We arrived last night and met up with Noah at the hotel he's been staying."

"Oh okay, I want to thank you guys for booking the hotel for him by the way." Liam started, turning around slightly to look at Niall and Louis. "Means a lot to me. I promise I'll pay you back."

"No, that's okay, we wanted to help out" Louis replied, Niall nodding in agreement.

"I don't know what I would do without you guys, you're truly amazing did you know that? Can always count on you" Liam smiled turning back around, while Louis and Niall gave each other guilty looks, Noah who was sitting between them noticed and bit his bottom lip nervously.

Niall and Louis ended up telling Noah what had happened to Zayn when they arrived at the hotel and he asked where Zayn was and why he hadn't come to pick up Liam himself. They begged him to please keep it a secret from Liam until they were home. Noah didn't like keeping such a huge and horrible secret from Liam, but they would be telling him soon and it wasn't like he'd known the entire time.

Liam, Niall and Noah slept the entire flight, Louis couldn't sleep due to the guilt eating him alive. He'd been feeling guilty since the day they found out Zayn was missing. He blamed himself for it, but after calling the police and having them investigate the crime scene, which Louis hated calling it that, they realized that someone had forcefully taken Zayn, and he hadn't escaped on his own. Zayn was injured in the process of trying to get away from whoever took him, not because he was trying to escape quickly before Louis returned. He had probably screamed for help and Louis wasn't there to help him.

He knew it wasn't his fault, because he hadn't forcefully taken Zayn from his room, but if he had been in the house when it happened instead of arguing with Harry on the phone around the block Zayn would still be there and he'd be okay. Harry kept trying to convince Louis that it wasn't his fault but Louis wouldn't believe him. The guilt was so strong and it was eating Louis alive so badly that he thought of going to see a therapist for it, see if it would help.

He didn't though. And he won't, because he knows they'll find Zayn and he'll be okay and once Zayn's okay, Louis himself will be okay. Then he'll just have to spend his entire life trying to make it up to Zayn.

On the cab ride to Liam and Zayn's house, Niall, Louis and Noah weren't feeling great, mostly Niall and Louis. They were dreading having to tell Liam the truth, especially just after he had been released from medical care.

Liam was basically jumping in his seat, smiling as he watched the houses in his neighborhood blur by. Excited to see Zayn after what seemed forever.

He didn't even allow the cab to fully stop before he got out of the cab and ran towards his house. Niall and Louis yelling out to him from the cab. Liam ran inside looking around the house.

"Zayn! I'm home, Zayn!" He quickly ran up the stairs just as Harry, Eleanor and Chris walked out of the kitchen. Niall, Louis and Noah running into the house stopping when they saw the other three. They all looked at each before turning to look up at the stairs.

Liam entered the room, looking around it before walking to the bathroom and opening the door. He frowned when Zayn wasn't there so he went to check the closet, thinking Zayn was probably hiding and wanted to surprise him.

"Zayn, babe, come on. Where are you?" He chuckled, but as he moved their clothes around, Zayn wasn't there either. He looked under the bed and once more around the room before he walked out into the hallway and towards the stairs.

"Guys, where's-" He cut himself off when he noticed his friends looking up at him sadly. He felt his heartbreak and took a deep breath. He slowly walked down the stairs, tears filling his eyes.

"Where's Zayn?" He asked, his voice breaking at the end.

No one spoke up, no one wanting to be the bearer of bad news. They all looked at each other or anywhere else, simply trying to avoid eye contact with Liam.

"Where is he?!" He cried out, the tears falling down his face.

Eleanor sighed and stepped towards Liam, "Liam, sweetheart, Zayn's-"

"He's dead isn't he?" Liam said looking at Eleanor then at everyone else, "He's dead and you kept it from me, didn't you? What happened? Did something happen? How did he die?" Liam cut himself off and before Eleanor could even tell him he was wrong he continued.

"He took his own life didn't he? Because of what I said to him, that was it, wasn't it?" Liam cried out letting himself fall to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

Eleanor shook her head and got down on her knees in front of him, gently taking his face in her hands, and spoke softly to him, "He didn't take his life, Liam. He's not dead, well, at least we hope he's not. Zayn's missing. Someone broke into the house and took him with them, Liam."

Liam looked at Eleanor, heartbroken and confused, "He's- he's not dead?"

"We hope not. You have no idea how sorry we all are for keeping this from you, but we didn't want to worry you while you worked on getting better. We're so sorry, Liam.."

Liam didn't have the strength to be upset with his friends at the moment, he's mind was occupied with Zayn. Where he could be? Who could've taken him? Was he okay? Was he alive?

"How long?" Liam whispered as he looked from Eleanor to the guys.

They just looked at each other before looking back at Liam.

"How long?!" He screamed becoming frustrated that no one was giving him answers.

"Five months." Harry replied, Liam looking at them in disbelief.

"You're telling me that my husband has been missing for five months and you waited until today to tell me? Not only that, but you haven't found him?" Liam said, his voice clear with anger.

He stood up, wiping away the tears and stepping towards his friends. "What the fuck have you all been doing this entire time?! How the fuck has Zayn been missing for five months and none of you know where the fuck he is?! Did you not try at all?! Or did you say 'fuck it, Liam can take care of it when he's home'?!"

No one said a thing, just looked down, because really, Liam had every right to be upset.

After what seemed like forever, Chris spoke up, "It was out of our hands.. We got the police involved and they've been doing everything they can to find him but there hasn't been any luck."

"Fuck you. Fuck all of you. My husband could very well be dead already and you're here telling me that it was out of your hands." Liam shook his head, pissed off. He looked over at Noah, before chuckling coldly.

"Of course you knew too."

"Liam, stop. We told him just before telling you, don't take it out on Noah." Louis said sternly, but all Liam did was walk past them all and out of the house.

"Should we go after him?" Niall asked, Eleanor stood up from where she was kneeling on the floor. "He might need to be alone."

"Do you think he'll kill me when he finds out I was meant to be watching Zayn when he got kidnapped but I wasn't?" Louis asked, he looked like he was about to break down despite just moments ago he had confronted Liam about Noah.

Harry shook his head and hugged his husband tightly while Louis, for the first time since Zayn went missing, let himself cry.

Liam walked towards the park a few blocks from their house and all he could think of was what would he do if he no longer had Zayn? He needed to do something, anything, look for Zayn and make sure he's alright. Bring him back home. He sat down on one of the benches and hid his face on the palms of his hands, taking deep breaths.

"Liam, is it?" Liam looked up, frowning at the man in front of him.

"Yeah? And you are?" He asked as he stood up to be face to face with him.

"It's great to finally meet you." He chuckled, confusing Liam.

"Who are you and what do you want?"

"Better yet, Liam. What is that I have that you want?"

"What?" Liam shook his head, looking at the man in front of him. "Listen, I don't have time for whatever this is and-"

"He's okay. Been taking care of him myself."

Liam stared at the man, waiting for him to say something else. But he only chuckled.

"Zayn's great, Liam. Delusional without his pills, seeing people and hearing things that aren't there, but he's great"

Liam didn't hesitate to grab the man by the collar of his shirt, "Where is he?"

"Name's Tyler. And I suggest that if you want to see your precious husband again, alive, you let go of me."

Liam glared at him, but he couldn't risk anything, in case he really did have Zayn with him, so he let go.

"Good boy. Now, I won't give you an exact location because that would just be no fun at all. But you might get to him on time if you remember the exact location of the house you were held years ago?"

"What do you mean on time?"

"Well, I might have tied him to a wooden post, and covered him in red meat, while a cage full of very hungry rats try to escape it to get to him."

Liam looked at him in shock, Tyler only smirking.

"I estimated it would take the rats about three hours to break free and get to him. He's been there for approximately two hours now. Once they break free, he's got, hm, twenty minutes tops before they take care of him. But of course, my estimations could be wrong." He said shrugging at the end.

Liam did the first thing he could and punched Tyler as hard as he could, immediately knocking him out cold. He picked Tyler up and placed him over his shoulder to take him back to his house.

He would leave Tyler there while he went out to look for Zayn, his friends could watch him while the police arrived. He was going to get to Zayn, and he would make sure he would get there before anything bad could happen to him.

"I'm coming to get you, Zayn."


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you beging reading this chapter, there's something I've got to let you know. This particular chapter comes with songs, and because I can't post them all here for you for you to simply click on them and listen to them instantly, I will let you know throughout the chapter when to start listening to a specific song, as well as the name of the song and who it's by. You don't have to do this, it's not necessary, it's optional, it's only to give much more meaning to the chapter. At least that's what I tried to do. When you see the name of the song in parenthesis, that's when you should start listening to that song, and the same for the song after that one and so on. You don't have to finish the song if you don't want to, in case you get to a part where another song is to be listened to and the past song hasn't finished. You can skip to the next one with no problem, unless of course you're a really fast reader and the song is just beginning by the time you've reach the next song then I suggest listening to the song just a bit before moving on to the next. Again, not required simply optional. Thank you, and this chapter is a big longer than the others, but enjoy.

_(Faded - Alan Walker)_

Liam didn't give much explanation as to why he was carrying an unconscious guy on his shoulder when he arrived, nor when he yelled for the car keys and drove off.

So now, they were all at the house, literally just staring at Tyler as he laid unconscious on the floor of the living room.

"Okay so like, what happened?" Niall asked shaking his head before turning to look at everyone else in the room.

"Hell if I know, Liam only said watch him and call the police then drove off with my car" Harry replied looking away from Tyler to look at Niall.

"I have a question" Noah spoke out, keeping his eyes on Tyler. "Why exactly is he duct taped from head to to and handcuffed with furry handcuffs?"

"Oh, well because, we didn't want him to try and escape if he woke up and the furry handcuffs are because we didn't have any other ones. I found those in Zayn and Liam's closet hidden in a box on the top shelf" Louis explained, everyone turning to look at him.

"Then why the hell are we all watching him if we know for a fact that he won't escape if he wakes up. He's covered in duct tape for crying out loud" Eleanor said standing up and walking out of the living room, followed by Noah, Niall and Chris.

Louis looked at Harry who chuckled softly and kissed his forehead gently, "Way to make up for it, babe."

Louis smiled slightly as Harry stood up and made his way to the kitchen with everyone else. Louis stayed behind, because no matter how hard it would be for Tyler to get away, he wasn't going to take any chances. And really, he just wanted to beat the crap out of him for what he did to Zayn.

As Liam drove way over the speed limit, he tried to remember exactly where the old house was, but he couldn't remember anything. The day he escaped he wasn't focused much on his surroundings just on needing to be as far away as possible from the house itself.

"Come on, come on, remember damn it!" He was frustrated with himself, it had been almost 40 minutes since Tyler told him where Zayn was and Liam couldn't risk what Tyler had said to be true. He hoped he was lying but either way he wanted to get there in time. He just had to.

After driving for another five minutes, he stepped on the breaks, the car screeching to a halt. He stared at the empty road in front of him, and began crying.

Truth was, he didn't know where he was going, he couldn't remember where he was held, it had taken him weeks to get back to Bradford once he escaped, meaning he really didn't know how far the house was. He could easily call the police and tell them what Tyler had said, they would obviously have records of where they made the arrests but he wanted to save Zayn himself.

His phone rang in his pocket, he wiped his tears before pulling it out and answering it without checking who it was.

"Liam? Where are you?" Eleanor asked, worried

Liam looked around, "I have no clue, I thought I would just drive in what I thought was the direction in which the house Tyler said Zayn was at but I can't remember anything"

Eleanor spoke away from the phone, clearly letting the other know what Liam had said before replying to him, "We called the police like you said, they took Tyler and after we told them what he had said they were going to look for the location in their files and go there themselves"

"No! I want to get there first, Zayn needs me now!"

"Liam. Get home now, you're in absolutely no position to be going on and playing hero. You just came back from a rehabilitation hospital you spent seven months in. Come home now."

Liam shook his head, refusing to give up, "I can't, I need to find Zayn"

There was a noise on the other end of the phone, then Harry spoke, "Get your ass home, now. You're putting yourself in just as much danger as Zayn is in right now. They're going to find him, Liam. Get home now, your parents are here. And so are Zayn's."

Liam sighed and looked at the rear view mirror before hanging up and dropping his phone onto the passenger seat. He turned the car around and made his way home.

His phone rang the entire time, calls from both Eleanor and Harry, he refused to answer them. He was on his way home like they asked, anyway.

Half an hour later, he was pulling up into his house, two cop cars parked outside, along with his parents' car and Zayn's parents' car as well. Once he had parked the car, and got out, he made his way towards his house.

"Liam!" His mother ran out of the house and straight to him, she hugged him tightly crying into his chest. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking I wanted to save my husband" Liam said hugging her back, noticing that they were being watched from the doorway.

He pulled away from his mother, ignoring her calls for him. He walked into the house, passing by Louis, Niall and Noah, and into the living room. Harry, Eleanor, Chris, his father, Zayn's parents and two officers were talking.

They turned to look at him when they noticed him walk in.

"Liam Payne?" One of the officers asked, Liam nodded and the officer exchanged a glance with the other one.

"The suspect was taken into custody and has already released the location of which your husband is being held. When we first arrived, your friends here told us what he had told you and we immediately sent out a few officers there but they said that once they were there no one was in the house. Soon enough we were able to get the actual location from the suspect and we sent out officers to check."

Liam stared at him, then looked over at his in-laws and parents, seeing how heartbroken they looked over everything.

"All we have to do now is wait. We'll get him home" The other officer said, Liam nodded once before taking a seat on the couch, staring at the floor.

He didn't know what to say, he just hoped that where it was Zayn truly was, that he was okay, alive and on his way home.

"Zayn, wake up already" Ethan urged, but it was no use. Zayn had been unconscious for what seemed for hours and that surely wasn't normal.

"Why won't he wake up!?" Ethan turned to Liam, who looked like he had lost complete hope.

"He's weak. You know this, you know that he probably won't wake up. He's dehydrated, starving, sleep deprived, and let's not forget he hasn't been taking his medications hence why you and I are here arguing about this"

"Is the real you this negative?" Ethan said stepping towards Liam, being face to face with him. "Because you sure are. Can't you at least have some hope for him? I thought I was the negative one of us, but actually I want him to be okay and alive even if it means I don't get to 'exist' anymore"

Liam looked at Ethan then over at Zayn's body, before shrugging slightly. "There's no hope for him. I can literally see the life being sucked out of him."

"Don't say that! That's not true!" Ethan yelled wanting to more than anything punch Liam for being so hopeless.

"I'm serious. Look at his skin. It's becoming becoming pale. His breathing is short and slow. It's becoming difficult for him to breathe, he's dying, Ethan."

Ethan shook his head, tears filling his eyes, refusing to believe that this was the way that Zayn's life would end.

"He was supposed to live a long and happy life! This isn't fair! He doesn't deserve this, Liam! We can't let him die!" Ethan cried out, turning to look over at Zayn.

"There's nothing we can do, Ethan! We don't even exist! We're in his head and you wanting him to stay alive is Zayn himself clinging to the last bit of hope he has! We're him, Ethan don't you get it!?"

Ethan looked at Liam, tears running down his face, "I represent him knowing that this is it, that this is how he dies. And you represent him clinging onto the last amount of hope he has, wishing that he'll be saved."

They looked at each other, Ethan basically crumpling in front of Liam, as Liam held onto him knowing that it was the end for Zayn, and for them.

"This can't be the end.. It just can't.."

_(Please Don't Go - Joel Adams)_

Liam let Ethan cry, as it was probably the last thing he'd ever be able to do. He also let him go and sit next to Zayn. He cried as he looked down at Zayn's unconscious body laying on the floor.

"He didn't deserve this.."

Ethan looked up and gasped softly before quickly standing up. "Liam.. you're, you're-"

"I know. I'm slowly disappearing."

Liam looked more like a ghost, transparent, instead of the way Zayn would always see him. As if he was there in flesh and bones.

"So are you."

Ethan looked down at his hands and then his body, shaking his head quickly, "No. We can't disappear! If we disappear that means-"

"Ethan, we're disappearing because Zayn is dying. The minute we are gone completely, he will be too. We exist in his head, remember. Once he stops breathing, we're gone because there won't be a brain to keep us here. Zayn won't be here to keep us around."

Ethan sniffled, wiping his face before turning to look at Liam, who was staring to his left. He turned to look in the direction Liam was and was surprised.

"Oh fuck no. No. No. No. You get back in there. Now." He said pointing at Zayn's body on the floor.

Liam sighed as they stared at what seemed to be Zayn, but it couldn't be, since Zayn's body was on the floor in front of them.

"Is that his god damn soul? Are you fucking kidding me right now?!" Ethan asked turning to look at Liam, who nodded but kept staring at the Zayn that wasn't unconscious.

"Oh this has got to be some kind of sick joke. How are we seeing his soul? That means he's dead and if he's dead we shouldn't be here, so please explain to me how this is even possible?"

Ethan shook his head in disbelief and continued before Liam couldn't even get the chance to respond, "I have no idea what's going on. You better not tell me that we're supposed to help him walk into the light, because I swear I'll use whatever hallucination powers I have left and kick my foot so far up your ass-"

"Ethan, shut up."

Ethan turned to look at Zayn and made a face, "What the fuck, even his soul is mean to me."

Liam rolled his eyes before walking towards Zayn's soul, or at least that's what they believed it was.

"Come on, Ethan."

Ethan frowned at Liam and shook his head, "Oh hell no, I'm not helping Zayn walk into the light. Are you kidding? I'll help him find his way back to where he fucking belongs which oh! is your body! Now get your ass back in your body, and wake the hell up. That's what you should be doing." He grabbed Zayn's hand and tried to drag him over to the body, but he wouldn't budge.

"Zayn don't be so stubborn!" Ethan whined, Liam making him let go of Zayn.

"I'm honestly not going to miss how bossy you are and how annoying you can get." Liam said, smiling weakly as he looked at Ethan.

"So this is it, we're not getting out of this one are we?" Ethan asked, Liam shaking his head. They both sighed, and turned to look at Zayn.

"We're sorry it ended this way. I know we were only around when you weren't doing so great, but we truly enjoyed being by your side." Liam said looking at Ethan who nodded in agreement.

"Hope heaven is as peaceful as they say it is. Sorry we can't be there with you. There's no heaven or hell for us, it's just poof and we're gone." Ethan added, "Bye Zayn, we love you, bud."

"We do. Goodbye Zayn" Liam said and both of them waved at Zayn, before giving each other a hug.

"Goodbye, Liam. I'll miss you" Ethan whispered, making Liam tear up.

"I'll miss you too" They pulled away, both heartbroken that it was their end. "Goodbye, Ethan."

With that, both Liam and Ethan were gone. Zayn stared at his body on the floor, before sighing and deciding to walk to whatever light it was Ethan and Liam had been talking about.

Zayn turned away from his pale and cold body, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, feeling a bright light flash at him despite his eyes being closed.

Then it all went black.

"What's taking them so long?" Liam asked as he paced around the living room.

Not even a second later, there was a knock on the door. Liam pushed everyone out of his way as he ran to answer the door. He quickly turned the door knob and slammed the door open.

_(Photograph - Ed Sheeran)_

There were two officers on his door step, he looked at them and they didn't have to say anything for Liam to understand.

"No.." He shook his head as the tears quickly fell down his face. Everyone looked at him sadly, Noah slowly walking over to pull Liam out of the way and hold him close as Liam sobbed uncontrollably.

Everyone was silently crying watching as Liam broken down in front of them, his sobs and everyone's sniffling filling the room.

Zayn's father stepped away from holding his wife as she cried, Niall holding her once Yaser had walked away. He stepped out, closing the door behind himself to speak to the officers.

Noah rubbed Liam's back, crying himself but wanting nothing more than to try to comfort Liam in such a horrible moment. He didn't know how to feel, in the two months which he met and got to know Zayn, they had become so close. Zayn had become like the big brother he never had, and now he had to hold his only best friend as he cried over the loss of the love of his life.

Chris held Eleanor as she cried in his chest, her face completely pressed against him. He had his chin resting on the top of her head as he held her tightly, tears slowly streaming down his cheeks.

Next to them was Harry and Louis, who held onto each other like their lives depended on it. Louis felt like the world was crashing down around him, the guilt now bigger than ever and he didn't think he could ever forgive himself for not keeping an eye on Zayn that night.

Liam's parents watched as their son cried for Zayn, pleading for all of it to just be a stupid nightmare he would soon wake up from. It was too much to bear, their only son's life was falling apart quicker than anything they've ever seen and they wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

Outside, the officers were explaining to Yaser how they had found Zayn.

"Tyler said he had left Zayn in the basement of a cabin he owed fifty miles from here. We got the exact location and made our way over there, informing police stations nearby as well. Once we arrived, we found him exactly where he had said your son would be. In very bad shape." One of the officers explained.

"Immediately we began performing CPR, and thankfully we were able to get him breathing but the problem is that the paramedics say he's in a coma. He was taken to the nearest hospital to where we found him, which is almost 50 miles from here. I'd say you should go there and see him because they won't be able to transfer him or move him. I'm only saying this because the doctors weren't sure if he'll ever wake up, and you might want to be together if you decide to disconnect him" The other officer added. Yaser took a deep breath, letting a tear roll down his face nodding once.

"Thank you."

The officers nodded and handed him a paper with the hospital address before excusing themselves and walking away.

Yaser turned around and entered the house, his heartbreaking at the sight of everyone in tears.

"Liam?" He walked towards his son-in-law, kneeling down to be at Liam's eye level since he was now sitting on the floor hugging his knees. Liam choked out a sob before lifting his head and looking up at Yaser.

"Zayn isn't dead, he's in a coma" He whispered.

Liam stared at him sniffling a big, "So he's alive?"

"Barely, he's in a coma, son. The doctors aren't sure if he'll wake up, so I say we stop crying for now and get our asses to the hospital to see him."

Liam quickly got up, wiping his face clean of tears then hugging Yaser tightly after he stood up as well, Yaser returning the hug.

"Let's go"

Liam nodded and made his way out of the house, everyone following suit having heard what they said. They piled into three cars and made their way towards the hospital.

Upon arriving at the hospital, they all made their way to the front desk to ask about Zayn, the nurse informing them at he was in intensive care and wasn't allowed visitors at the time. Therefore they all decided to stay at the waiting room until they were allowed to see him.

By three in the morning, everyone had fallen asleep, Liam and his mother being the only ones left awake. His friends had all laid out on the floor, his in-laws and his father had fallen asleep in their chairs.

Liam couldn't sleep knowing that at any moment Zayn could wake up or that he would be allowed to see him.

"Sweetheart" Liam turned to his mother who was sitting two chairs away from him. "He's going to be okay, I know it. You two have been through so much there's nothing you can't handle."

Liam moved to the seat next to his mother and hugged her tightly, "Thank you, I sure hope you're right."

He fell asleep with his head resting on his mother's shoulder, and was woken up by her combing her fingers through his hair. "Liam, wake up. The doctor wants to speak to you"

He yawned as he stood up, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. "Alright, I'll be right back." Making his way towards one of the nurses to ask where the doctor was, he became really nervous as to what exactly it was that the doctor wanted to tell him.

"Mr.Payne?" Liam turned around and saw the doctor walking towards him.

"It's Malik-Payne, actually."

"I apologize. I'm Dr.Winston. I've been the one taking care of your husband since he arrived. I know this might be hard for you but, you are aware your husband is comatose, correct?"

Liam nodded, "Yeah, one of the nurses informed me when we arrived. Why was I able to speak to you then?"

"I was performing surgery. Now, after the tests we've performed on your husband, the likelihood of him waking up is less than 10%." Dr.Winston said, noticing the way Liam took a shaky breath.

"Which is why, I wanted to tell you that you're allowed to see him. Except, because you are his husband and is listed as the one to make decisions for him in case he wasn't able to do so himself, I've got to ask, are you willing to disconnect your husband?"

Liam felt like he had been stabbed straight in the heart, he teared up before replying, "Can I see him first before I even think about making a decision like that?"

"Of course. But I do need to remind you that if you decided to keep him connected there's a huge possibility he'll never wake up again despite that. He'll be breathing but no longer living."

He nodded and followed the doctor to Zayn's room, "Take all the time you need, I'll inform your friends and family they're allowed to visit him as well. But only two people at a time." Liam didn't say a word, the doctor left, leaving him to stare at Zayn through the glass door.

_(I'll See You Again - Westlife)_

He took a deep breath before slowly opening the door and walking inside, the beeping of the machines the only noise in the room.

Zayn looked peaceful, despite the fact that he didn't look nothing like himself. His skin was much lighter than the gorgeous natural tan color Liam loved so much. He was thinner too, something that always worried Liam when it came to Zayn's health, sometimes losing too much weight that he would become fragile in every way possible.

He stepped towards the bed, looking down at his husband. If it wasn't for the tubes in his mouth to help him breath, Zayn would look as attractive as ever in Liam's eyes. His eyelashes fanned out beautiful, something Liam always found fascinating, he had never met anyone with such long and amazing lashes as Zayn. They always helped compliment his eyes beautifully.

Liam reached down and carefully took Zayn's hand in his, taking a seat on the chair right next to the bed. "Hi, love. Long time no see." He whispered, tears falling down his cheeks.

He held Zayn's hand to his lips, kissing his knuckles one by one then the back of his hand. "Life isn't fair. This shouldn't be happening, not to you, babe."

"I have no idea if you can hear me, I once read that comatose patients can hear everything around them, so I hope you actually are. I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for what I said the last time I saw you. I was upset with myself and I took it out on you, I treated you horribly and possibly made you feel like I didn't love you anymore. And despite that, you still wanted to be told if anything happened with me." Liam chuckled sadly, "You did always care for everyone before yourself."

"You have to wake up, Zayn.. You promised me forever and always and as far as I'm concerned forever and always dooesn't end at 25 or 24." He shook his head before letting it hang while he cried quietly, still holding onto Zayn's hand, thinking about what the doctor has asked him.

Was he really willing to disconnect Zayn?

There was a soft knock on the door, Liam lifted his head sniffling and turned to the door. Zayn's parents were looking at them, his mother incredibly heartbroken and his father practically holding her up because it seemed she could crumble at any second.

"I'll let your parents see you, but I'll be back." He kissed Zayn's hand once more before laying it down on the bed and standing up. He walked out of the room and looked at his in-laws.

"Seeing him that way, breaks my heart. But I know that, that isn't the life he would have wanted. He always believed it was better to go than to suffer for long periods of time when it came down to it."

"What are you saying, Liam?" Trisha asked, knowing what Liam was about to say.

"I've decided that he needs to be at peace, and this isn't it. I'm gonna disconnect him." He choked out a sob, "I'm so sorry.."

"It's your decision.. we would just like to say our goodbyes then." Yaser said, clearly trying to be strong but Liam could tell this was just as hard for him as it was for his wife.

_(See You Again - Charlie Puth [solo version] )_

Liam nodded and walked away to give them the privacy they deserved. As he reached the waiting room, everyone stood upon seeing him. He walked straight to his parents and began crying into his mother's shoulder as he hugged her tightly.

"I have to let him go.. He's not going to wake up.."

The minute he said that, everyone was once again crying and hugging each other. Their hearts broken for both Zayn and Liam, they knew that it was one of the hardest decisions Liam has probably had to make, but if he was willing to let Zayn be at peace, who were they to object.

Two by two, they each went ahead and said their goodbyes to Zayn. Liam's parents going after Zayn's parents, needing to apologize for the way they behaved and acted towards him the last few years. Feeling incredibly guilty for it, knowing he never deserved to be treated that way, they were just too stubborn to see past the fact that Liam wasn't okay to understand that neither was Zayn.

After them was, Harry and Louis. Louis practically begged Zayn for forgiveness, blaming himself for him being in the situation he was in. Promising him that he would spend a lifetime trying to make it up to Liam for basically helping Tyler take the love of his life from him. Harry trying to reassure him that Zayn would never blame him for it, and if he was awake he would promise to beat Louis' ass for being stupid. It was hard for them to say goodbye but they knew that Zayn wouldn't have wanted to spend his life that way.

Next, were Niall and Chris. Niall trying to make jokes that he knew Zayn would've found funny but breaking down crying after each one when Zayn obviously wouldn't laugh at them. Saying how much he wished that he'd been around more the last few years, traveling the world didn't seem as important to him now that his best friend was on his death bed and the only things he could remember from the past five years was how he helped Liam lie to Zayn and that made him upset with himself. Chris thanking Zayn for allowing him to be a part of his life, even if it really wasn't for long. Thankful that he got to meet someone as amazing as Zayn, also for giving him the family he didn't have. Hating that it was goodbye, he'd miss him terribly.

Eleanor and Noah went together, Eleanor not being able to properly say goodbye to Zayn because she didn't want to believe that she would no longer be able to call him up and talk for hours just because she was bored or that she'll never hear the bell above the door at her dance studio chime and have Zayn smile at her from the entrance again. Noah, letting Zayn know that despite not knowing each other all that well, Zayn had quickly become like a big brother to him, someone Noah could count on. No one had cared for him as much as Zayn had in the two months they spent together in the hospital. He would be forever grateful for it, and for giving Noah a chance to have a second family, one that he didn't think he'd be accepted into but was welcomed with opened arms even in the tough time they were all going through at the moment.

Sadly, Zayn's sisters and Liam's sister weren't able to be there to say goodbye as they were back in Bradford and wouldn't make it on time.

As Liam stood at the foot of the bed, looking at Zayn, listening to the beeping of the machines, and feeling his heart break piece by piece, the doctor waited for him to be ready to sign the papers.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked, Liam looking away from Zayn to look at the doctor. He nodded once, getting the clipboard handed to him, along with a pen.

"After I sign, can I have a few minutes with him before you disconnect him?"

"Of course, but no longer than five minutes."

Liam nodded, took a deep breath and looked down at the clipboard in his hand. As he signed on the dotted line at the bottom of the paper, he felt a million pieces of his heart break off and fall at the same time, leaving one single piece hanging by thread.

He handed the clipboard back to the doctor, "Five minutes, Mr.Malik-Payne"

_(Tell Your Heart To Beat Again - Danny Gokey)_

The doctor and nurse walked out of the room and Liam went to kneel down next to the bed, taking Zayn's hand in his.

"I'm sorry.. You have no idea how hard this is for me. I never imagined that this is how things would be between us. I always imagined us growing old together, you know I always knew you'd look incredibly handsome with silver hair." He chuckled softly, wiping away a few tears.

"I hoped that after me getting out of the hospital, we could try to get our back to normal. I wanted to start a family with you, Zayn..  I wanted us to be a happy family, one with no problems or at least not as big as we've always had them. Have a few kids, watch them grow, care for them, watch them go through a rebellious phase then have them transform into kind hearted people, go off to college and make a difference in the world. Make us proud. We'll never have that now.." He cried out, pressing a kiss to Zayn's hand, his lips wet with his tears.

"Nothing will ever be the same without you. I promise you that, you'll always be the one for me. I'll always be Liam Malik-Payne, I'll always be Zayn's husband, I'll always be that dorky yet determined football player that fell in love with a very moody yet determined dancer back in high school. I'll always be yours, until death takes me, because you might no longer be around but I'm yours until my very own last breath, that I promise."

He stood up, pressing a gentle kiss to Zayn's forehead, whispering against his skin, "I love you more than anything, Zayn Malik-Payne. I'll see you later, cause there's no way I'm saying goodbye."

He pulled away, letting go of Zayn's hand just as the doctor and nurse walked back into the room.

Liam wiped his face away of the tears and took in a shaky breath as the doctor and nurse stood on each side of the bed. Dr.Winston nodded at the nurse and she turned off all of the machines then removed the tubes from Zayn's mouth.

He felt the last piece of his heart finally break off as soon as he watched her disconnect him. They looked at the monitor, waiting for it to show Zayn's heart beat flatline.

The doctor frowned as soon as he noticed Zayn's heart beat change instead of flatline.

"What's going on..?" Liam asked as the doctor stared at the monitors.

"His heart has stabilized. Looks like your husband isn't ready to say goodbye just yet." Dr.Winston said turning to look at Liam.

Liam stared at the doctor who gave him a small kind smile, before he noticed Zayn's chest rising and falling on its own.

Zayn was breathing on his own.


	20. Chapter Twenty ; Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it. Here we go.

Zayn woke up from being in a coma, two days after he had been disconnected. He was confused as to what had happened to him, and really couldn't give any details as to how he had ended up the way he did. He could explain to the officers what happened in order for him to become unconscious and for them to find him the way they did.

It was all a blur to him, he felt as though he was going to be no help because of it, but the officers assured him that even if he couldn't remember at the moment, Tyler had confessed to everything. He knew Zayn was weak and he knew that because he really wasn't feeding him like a normal person should be eating, he was severely dehydrated, which made him decide to knock Zayn out and leave him locked up without food or water for a few days. Once he knew Zayn wouldn't possibly survive through that, he left him for dead.

More than likely Zayn would be sent to see a psychiatrist to try to help him remember what had happened, so that the day of Tyler's trial, Zayn would be able to testify against him if necessary.

Liam refused to ever leave Zayn's side the entire time, stating that he was never going to be apart from Zayn even if his life depended on it. Which worked out in Zayn's favor, since he demanded Liam and him have a serious talk about what had happened the last time they had seen each other. As well as them needing to discuss where their relationship was really heading and if they were both serious about it as they were when they began.

When Zayn suggested that if Liam didn't feel the same way for Zayn has he had before that there would be no problem with Zayn signing the divorce papers if Liam really wanted it that way. There was no way he was going to stop Liam from moving on and trying to be happy on his own, and trying to get his life together without Zayn in the picture.

Liam practically slapped him for even thinking that's what he wanted. He didn't though, because of Zayn being in a hospital and all that, he would have if it hadn't been the case, he said so himself. He said that they probably needed to communicate more, which was something both of them rarely did since they got married. Maybe even try couples counseling, if Zayn really wanted to try to make their marriage work after all the crap they had been through.

Neither of them were too excited about the fact that they would have to see more people to help them out, Liam already needed to see a therapist and two other doctors to help him maintain his good health, Zayn having to start seeing a psychiatrist plus start getting regular check ups with his main doctor after he went medically untreated for so long. Adding a counselor to the mix just seemed too much for them, but if they didn't at least try their relationship would only go down hill from there.

Despite all of that, they were happy just to be together again, and deep down they both knew that nothing would ever come between them again. They were Zayn and Liam for god's sake, best friends, high school sweethearts, they couldn't possibly live without each other even if they tried.

The first thing they did after Zayn woke up was give each other the most passionate kiss they've had in a long while. Crying and holding on to each other for dear life, until of course, Dr.Winston had to pry Liam away before he took Zayn's breath away and put him in a coma all over again. Test after test was performed on Zayn, all of them clearing him from any danger. He was still a bit dehydrated and malnourished but that wasn't something staying in the hospital for a few days couldn't fix.

The doctor also made sure Zayn started to take his medication, to avoid any hallucination episodes to happen again. The only person felt safe telling about Ethan and Liam, the hallucination was well, Liam, of course.

He told him how they kept him company and basically gave him the strength to not give up. Told Liam about how he made sure Tyler believed Zayn was in love with him, that way Tyler would begin caring for him in return so he wouldn't dare hurt him. Of course, it didn't work hence the situation they were in at the moment. Liam listened and paid attention to everything that he had to say about his hallucinations, Zayn seemed to believe that those hallucinations were probably what helped save his life.

Liam didn't have the heart to tell his husband that the only thing that saved his life was himself, not wanting to die just yet and wanting to continue living his life. He couldn't tell Zayn that what he believed had saved his life didn't exist, because at the end of the day he was just happy that Zayn was alive and there with him.

Everyone had been surprised when Liam had walked out the day Zayn had been disconnected to tell them that Zayn was breathing on his own and that there was a huge possibility he would wake up after all. That only made them all want to stay at the hospital 24/7, even becoming familiarized with the nurses and doctors with all the time they spent there.

Louis made sure to apologize to Zayn as many times as humanly possible, only to have Zayn promise to beat his ass if he apologized again, because it hadn't been Louis fault and Zayn didn't blame him for anything. Harry annoyingly smirking at Louis before saying 'I told you so', and Louis telling him to shut up.

He quickly regained his health and was able to go home after a week and a half. He couldn't have been happier than in the moment he stepped out of the hospital, the cold breeze hitting his face and making him smile and shiver.

Currently, Zayn was staring out the window, with a cup of tea in his hand, steam coming out of the cup as he watched as the sun slowly rise in the horizon.

"Why are you up so early?" Zayn turned around to see Liam sitting up on the bed, looking over at him curiously.

Zayn chuckled as he turned to look back out the window, raising the cup to his lips and taking a sip, "After all this time and after asking me countless times, I still don't have an answer to that"

"I figured, just thought I'd ask in case this time you'd tell me you had actually gotten up to make me breakfast like I always think you do" Liam smiled before laying back against the pillows, keeping his eyes on Zayn.

Zayn smiled, staring out the window for a few seconds more before turning around to make his way to the bed. He placed his cup on his nightstand before slipping under the covers and moving closer to Liam. Liam wrapped his arms around Zayn, who did the same and placed his head on Liam's chest.

Liam placed a gentle kiss on the top of Zayn's head, making his husband smile and press a kiss to Liam's chest. "Seriously, Zayn. Why are you up so early? Something bothering you?"

Zayn didn't reply, making Liam sigh and pull away from Zayn just the slightest bit to be able to look at his face, only to realize his husband had fallen asleep.

Liam chuckled softly before pressing another kiss to Zayn's head and closing his eyes himself, falling asleep a few minutes later.

"Are you going to tell him what's bothering you?" Eleanor asked as she and Zayn were sitting on Zayn's bed that afternoon. Liam being downstairs with Noah and Chris, doing who knows what.

"Communication is key."

"That is true." Eleanor nodded as she watched Zayn but his bottom lip nervously.

"I'm just scared what he'll think about it when I tell him." He turned to look at his best friend who looked at him with so much love and appreciation.

"Do you honestly believe that after all you two have been through, again, he's going to be upset about this?"

"You don't get it.. You're more than capable of having what Liam wants so badly, something that I can't ever possibly give him. So yes, I truly believe he'll be upset about it."

"You won't know unless you actually go down there and tell him." Eleanor said shrugging her shoulders.

"I know, I know." Zayn sighed laying down placing his hands on his face in frustration. "I'm just scared it's all."

"You said that already."

Zayn uncovered his face to turn and glare at Eleanor who mouthed out a sorry.

"How?"

"Easy. Just get up, go down there and spill it out." Eleanor said rolling her eyes playfully.

Zayn stood up from the bed, looking at her, "So you want me to just waltz in there and be like 'Hi, Liam, listen there's something I've been meaning to tell you but I hadn't since I'm scared but here it goes anyway, I might not ever be approved for adoption and I just ruined every single one of our chances of ever starting a family' like it's the most casual thing in the world?" He said dramatically waving his arms around as if he was extremely care free and there wasn't a problem at all with what he had just said.

Eleanor stared at him for awhile before looking away, "Maybe not so casually and not as weird as whatever that was" Zayn gasped and quickly turned to see Liam standing in the doorway looking over at him.

Zayn's hands flew to cover his mouth. What had he just done?

"Eleanor, give can you give us a few minutes?" Liam asked, Eleanor nodding and standing up from the bed and making her way out of the room, rubbing Zayn's back as she left.

Once Eleanor was gone, Liam stepped in closing the door behind himself and made his way towards Zayn. He took Zayn's hands in his and brought them to his lips, to kiss his knuckles gently before speaking.

"Care to explain what that was?"

Zayn sighed and hung his head, "Liam I- I just, I might never be able to get approved to adopt a child, and with me being your husband that means you won't ever get approved either. We won't ever be able to have a family because of me."

Liam didn't say a thing, just looked at Zayn, who he was sure was crying but didn't want Liam to see. "I have Paranoid Schizophrenia, do you honestly believe they're ever going to have someone as crazy as me adopt a child? I don't think so."

"No."

Zayn looked up to meet Liam's gaze, he didn't seem upset, and his response hadn't sounded hurt or angry, it had just been a neutral no.

"Zayn, I knew that with both our conditions there was no way that we would ever be approved to adopt kids. With what you have and with what I have, there was no possible way we'd ever even get it past the application process."

"You're healthy, Liam."

"Actually, no, I'm not. I have Post Traumatic Stess Disorder, Zayn."

"You're getting treatment though, you're okay" Zayn argued, Liam shaking his head.

"And so are you. I'm not the only one going through treatment, Zayn. Why would you think that we wouldn't be able to adopt because of you?"

"Well because, yours was caused by trauma, I was born with it" Zayn said, shrugging slightly. "You didn't ask for it, it's not your fault you ended up with it."

"You didn't ask for it either Zayn, so it's not your fault you ended up with it either." Liam stated, watching as Zayn bit his bottom lip, frowning slightly.

"Babe, listen, do I want a family of our own? Of course I do, that would make me so happy. But I want nothing more in the world than for you to finally be in a place in your life where you're better than okay and have accepted that you're not the problem and neither is your illness. You need to understand that you're not the one keeping us from having a family."

"I'm part of the problem why we won't be able to though.."

"Yeah and I'm the other part of it, so what? Who cares? We won't have a family of our own, but that doesn't mean we can't have a happy life, you and me." Liam said, leading Zayn to the bed, sitting down and holding Zayn close to him.

Zayn didn't say anything for a few minutes and nether did Liam, who just looked at his husband who seemed to be in deep thought.

"I wanted to start a family with you, Zayn. I wanted us to be a happy family, one with no problems or at least not as big as we've always had them. Have a few kids, watch them grow, care for them, watch them go through a rebellious phase then have them transform into kind hearted people, go off to college and make a difference in the world. Make us proud. We'll never have that now" Zayn whispered making Liam frown.

"You said that, when I was in a coma. I heard you and I remember it clearly. You wouldn't have said it on my "death bed" if you didn't feel like it had been something you wanted more than anything in the world." Zayn continued, turning to look at Liam.

"Zayn.."

Zayn shook his head and stood up walking out of the room, making his way downstairs. Once he reached the bottom of the stairs, Liam called out to him.

Zayn turned around, Liam was looking down at him from the top of the stairs holding onto the railing.

"I love you, Zayn. More than anything in the world, and I am okay with you and I not having children of our own. We're a family you and me, and even if we might never get to be parents, we'll always have each other and I don't know about you but hell that's amazing all on it's own." Liam smiled, he sworn he saw Zayn smile but he looked away.

Liam made his way down the stairs, turning Zayn around to face him once he reached him, "I'll take care of you and you take care of me. We already act like a bunch of children most of the time, we won't know the difference"

Zayn chuckled shaking his head, "It's not the same and you know it."

"We don't know what will happen years from now, Zayn. Maybe in five years time, we'll be able to have a family of our own, you never know"

"Yeah, that is if neither of us get kidnapped before then, we have a habit of getting ourselves in sticky situations" Zayn said, making Liam laugh.

"I'm sorry, I just didn't want to upset you" Zayn said.

"Never apologize, and it's all okay. It wasn't and isn't your fault." Liam said before hugging Zayn, him returning the hug and smiling against Liam's cheek.

"Gosh, I love you." He said making Liam smile.

"And I love you" Liam replied before pressing his lips to Zayn's.

_ Three years later ... _

"Will you please stop pacing? I don't know why you're so nervous" Zayn said as he watched Liam walk back and forth in front of him.

"You're seriously not as nervous as I am? How could you not be nervous right now?" Liam stopped, just long enough to look at Zayn and ask him that before he began pacing again.

Zayn shook his head amused, letting his husband pace around as much as he wanted to as they waited.

"How could you honestly be so calm right now?" Liam asked, practically shaking from his nervous he was.

"Well, that's because I know for a fact that everything is going to be okay and you're just over exaggerating"

"We're here! We're here!" Liam and Zayn turned to see Louis and Harry jog towards them, "We didn't miss it did we?" Louis asked.

"Do you not see how Liam is at the moment?" Zayn asked looking away from them to turn to his husband.

"Okay, good point."

"You two be nice, he's got every right to be nervous." Harry stated, making his way over to Liam, to help him do some breathing exercises.

Louis went to stand next to Zayn, who turned to look at him, "What did we see in them?" Louis asked as he watched Liam and Harry look incredibly ridiculous.

"Speak for yourself, Liam's ass was what I saw in him." Zayn chuckled, Louis joining in.

"Zayn, shut the hell up!" Liam screeched, Harry glaring over at the two before helping Liam again.

"You two clearly don't understand how nerve wrecking this is. Zayn, you should probably be feeling the same way Liam is and you're just standing there without a care in the world. This is a big moment for you two"

"Harry, I'm not nervous because I know deep down all we're gonna get is good news. Liam is just over thinking things and thinking negatively. Besides, he's the one that wanted to start a family so badly and here we are" Zayn shrugged watching Liam calm down a bit.

"You wanted a family too, Zayn. Which is why we're in this situation to begin with" Liam argued, making Zayn nod.

"Alright, alright, that's true. But can you please just calm down, pretty sure that's like going to jinx everything, right Harry? Since you believe in all that mumbo jumbo"

Harry rolled his eyes before fixing Liam's shirt and hair, "It's going to be okay, don't you worry."

Harry walked over to Louis, who placed an arm around his waist and pulled him close to him, the same time Zayn walked over to Liam and did the same.

"This is it, you sure you're okay?" Zayn asked, Liam nodded and they both faced the door. To be completely honest, Zayn was just as nervous as Liam was, but he didn't want to show it since Liam had so much on his plate already, Zayn didn't need to add his own nerves into the mix.

Liam's breath hitched as the door opened, Zayn soothingly rubbing his side. They both smiled widely once they noticed the older woman walk through the door, smiling back at them, holding a clipboard in hand, and that's all they needed to know everything had worked out for them.

The woman stepped aside and two little kids ran past her. A boy and a girl. Both five.

"Daddy!" The little girl yelled as she ran towards Zayn and Liam. Zayn laughed and let go of Liam to crouch down and open his arms wide for her. Hugging her tightly once she was in his arms.

Liam did the same with the little boy, smiling widely. "Hi papa!"

They both stood up, carrying a kid in their arms each, "How was it?"

"Best first day of school ever, daddy." The little girl said, giggling as she hugged Zayn.

"What about you, bud?" Liam asked, the little boy grinning at him.

"It was awesome! I made so many friends already!"

Liam and Zayn both chuckled, looking at each other before looking at the kids. "Let's go home then, say bye to your teacher" Zayn said.

"Bye Mrs.Lee! See you tomorrow!" The two yelled out, waving at the older lady by the door, who smiled and waved back at them.

"Uncle Lou!" The little girl screeched, Zayn putting her down to allow her to run to Louis.

"Uncle Harry!" Liam laughed as he put the little boy down, allowing him to do the same.

"I told you, you had nothing to worry about. It was just their first day of school, babe" Zayn laughed softly.

"Exactly, I was worried they wouldn't make friends or that it would be hard for them to be away from us or that they could have gotten hurt during recess or-"

"Liam, shut up"

Liam smiled and looked over at the kids telling Louis and Harry about their day. "Yeah you're right, everything is okay."

"Daddy! Uncle Lou said that we were going out for pizza!"

Zayn laughed and shook his head, "Is that so? Is he gonna pay?"

"Uncle Lou, are you paying?" She asked, making Louis laugh.

"Sure I'll pay"

"Let's go then!" She yelled out, jumping out of Louis' arms and grabbing her brother's hand, both running in the direction of the car.

"Kids! Slow down!" Liam yelled running after them, Zayn laughing at him before running after them as well.

Zayn caught up to them and picked up the little boy with ease, the little one squealing and laughing as Zayn twirled them around. Liam picking up the little girl and doing the same, all of them laughing loudly.

"I will never understand why they don't just call their kids by their names" Louis said as him and Harry watched Liam, Zayn and the kids. "They're not that hard. Hell, they don't even actually use her name, they use her initials. Victor and Tiffany Jasleen aren't hard names, why shorten them?"

Harry turned to look at Louis amused before shaking his head, "Calling them Vic and TJ is obviously important to them, so who are we to call them anything different?"

"Guess so, but I feel as though they should probably use Vic's middle name just like they use TJ's."

"So you're suggesting they call him him Vic Ethan?" Harry asked chuckling softly.

"Sure why not?" Louis replied, turning to look at Harry.

"Why don't you worry about naming our future child and leave their kids' names alone?" Harry smiled, earning a grin from Louis.

"Hey you two! Are you coming or not? Everyone else is there already!" Zayn yelled out as he held TJ in his arms, while Liam strapped Vic into his car seat.

"We'll meet you there!" Harry yelled back, him and Louis making their way to their own car. "When do you think we should tell them we're adopting very soon?" Harry asked as they arrived to their car, Louis smiling at him before they both got into their car.

Zayn strapped TJ in and made sure they were both secure, he closed the back door turning to Liam after doing so.

"Who would have known we'd be standing here today" Liam said smiling at Zayn.

"We both did, since we registered the kids for school" Zayn said looking at Liam confused.

Liam laughed, "No, stupid. I mean, in life. Who would have known you and I would actually be in a place in our life where our health is more than okay, our relationship is heaven, we have a family of our own and there's nothing that could ever ruin that."

"Probably 18 year old Liam and Zayn. They had their whole lives planned out. And maybe it didn't happen exactly the way they would have wanted it to, but the ending did." Zayn smiled, pressing a kiss to Liam's cheek.

"Yeah.. pretty sure getting kidnapped, sent to a rehabilitation hospital, and then having to deal with so many doctors after that and oh let's not forget coma, none of that was part of their plan" Liam chuckled.

"Yeah, also they'd be pretty disappointed to find out we didn't actually go to any of the universities we were accepted to"

"Oh well, they'd understand why we didn't" Liam shrugged, standing next to the passenger door as Zayn walked around to the driver's side. "Besides, we turned out pretty good."

"Pretty good for a pair of guys that attracted nothing but tragedies for the last 13 years." Zayn laughed, both of them getting into their car, turning around to notice the kids had fallen asleep.

"Those are two of the most beautiful tragedies I've ever seen then" Liam smiled turning to look at Zayn.

"That they are."

They looked at each other and for a few seconds they felt as it was only them, alone with nothing and no one around them.

"I love you" Zayn smiled turning to fully face the front.

"And I love you" Liam replied, taking Zayn's hand in his.

"Let's get going. Everyone apparently knew Louis wanted to go eat pizza and are already there. Plus they want to know how the kids' first day went"

Liam nodded as they both put on their seatbelts, Zayn driving away as soon as they did.

"Hey Zayn?"

"Yeah, babe?"

"I was thinking, what if we got matching tattoos?"

Zayn chuckled, glancing over at Liam before focusing on the road, "And what would we get exactly?"

Liam shrugged looking at the road ahead, "Well, something I've noticed about us is that we both like the sun."

"Okay? Care to elaborate?"

"I like it when it's dusk, because everything just look incredible. And you like it when it's dawn, since you're always up in time to see it happen from our window"

"So you're suggesting we get tattoos of dusk and dawn? Is that even possible?"

Liam laughed a bit, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is, love. And I'm not just suggesting it because it's the name of the story we're currently in and we needed to be cheesy and mention at some point in the story, so why not the ending?"

Zayn and Liam looking in the same direction as if they were looking into a camera like in The Office, before going back to what they had just been doing a second later.

"Well, then let's do it. Let's figure out how we would get them done and as soon as we do, let's get them."

"Great, and Zayn?"

Zayn parked the car in the lot and turned to look at Liam, "Yes?"

"I'll be with you from dusk till dawn"

"Oh my god, Liam." Zayn rolled his eyes getting out of the car, unstrappimg the kids from their seats, then helping them out.

"What? I thought it was clever!"

"Stop trying to break the fourth wall Liam! It's weird and awkward!" Zayn yelled out to him as he and the kids made their way into the pizza parlor.

Liam laughed and shrugged, before catching up to them. "Oh well. Wait for me!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End. ♥️


End file.
